



“she MIXING. 
“CG |O R SA AND Pi a N IS 





_ VANE DERWALKER 





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The Mixing of Colors 
and Paints. 


Description, Properties, Theory, Harmony 
and Management of Colors 


The Mixing and Use of Colors and Paints for 
Interior Decorating, House Painting, Arts 
and Crafts, Furniture and Polychrome 
Finishing. 


BY 
F, N. VANDERWALKER 


Graduate in Commerce, Northwestern University 


Editor, American Painter & Decorator 


SSA SD EE NTE RE EEE ER ESS EGIL IO STIS I TENS SR OT i I BI IIIS SIL TE SBE ELE LIN, BELLE LDL OLA ITE, 





Author of “Automobile Painting’; “Estimates, Costs 
and Profits’; “New Stencils and Their Use,” ete. 
ILLUSTRATED 
CHICAGO 
FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. 
PUBLISHERS 














CopyricHt, 1924 


BY 
FREDERICK J. DRAKE & Co. — 


in 


Printed 


PREFACE 


A strict interpretation of the title of this book would 
eall for the presentation of only such information as 
pertains to the mixing of colors, paints and printing 
inks; but the possession of skill in mixing is only a 
means to an end, and that end is a more tasteful and 
effective use of colors. 

To select the principles of the science of color essen- 
tial to a better understanding and use of color by stu- 
dents, apprentices, journeymen, printers, interior dec- 
orators and master house painters, and to reduce the 
statement of such principles to the most simple terms— 
these are the attainments aimed at in the writing of this 
work. 

The mixing of colors and paints by painters, deco- 
rators and others is intimately related to effective and 
tasteful color use. Consequently, it seemed essential 
that all such kindred subject matter as is in any way 
related to better taste in color use should be included to 
promote the primary, if indirect, purpose of this book. 

The difficulties of the task were many, since the sub- 
ject of color is involved and can be confusingly tech- 
nical and scientific. Yet it must be stated simply, if 
a working knowledge of color use is to be contributed 
to those whose daily work in decorating, painting and 
printing does not permit them the time to pursue the 
study at length. © 

It is hoped that in this writing the simple interpre- 
tation of this fascinating study will lay the foundation 
for better and more tasteful use of color. 

F. N. VANDERWALKER. 





CONTENTS 


PAGE 


CHAPTER I 


CoLtor AND LigHtT:—The Spectrum—Prism—Primary Col- 
ors—Secondary Colors—Intermediate Colors 


cee ee eee eee e@ 


CHAPTER II 


DESCRIPTION OF CoLoR PIGMENTS:—The Earth Colors— 
Chemical—Aniline Coal Tar—Lake—Vegetable-Animal— 
Metal Bronze—Artists’ and Decorators’ Colors 


CHAPTER III 
PROPERTIES OF CoLoR PIGMENTS:—Opaque—Transparent— 
Fading—Chemical Reactions—Bleeding—Slow Drying.. 
CHAPTER IV 
How Cotors ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE:—Tinting Colors 
Decorators’ Oil Colors—Decorators’ Glaze Colors— Dis- 
temper Water Colors—Artists’ Colors—Japan Colors— 


Dry Colors—Bronze Colors—Color Varnish—Color Lac- 
quers 


eer ee cee eo 


CHAPTER V 


Basic Paint PIGMENTS:—White Lead—Flake White—Zinc 
Oxide — Titanium Oxide — Lithopone — Whiting — Silica 
(Silex) — Barytes — Asbestine — Red Lead — Graphite— 
Bronze Powders—Painter-Made Ready Mixed Paints.... 


CHAPTER VI 

Paint O1Ls:—Linseed—Perilla—China-Wood (Tung)—Soya 
Bean—Menhaden—Kerosene and Petroleum—Creosote— 
Flattinge—Flat Mixing Varnish—Floor Oil—Gloss Oil— 
Polishing and Rubbing—Megilp—Bronzing Liquids 


CHAPTER VII 


VoLATILE THINNERS AND DriersS:—Turpentine—Turpentine 
Substitutes—Mineral Spirits—Benzine—Benzol—Solvent 
Naptha—Amyl Acetate—Alcohol—Vinegar—Driers 


CHAPTER VIII 


GENERAL Paint Mrxtna Meruops:—Tools—Ready-Mixed 
Paints—White Lead—Lead and Zinc—Quantities of Ma- 
terials—Covering Capacity of Paint—Number of Gal- 
lons—Standard Formulas—Flatting Oil—Exterior Metal 
—Brick, Stucco, Concrete—Glue Size—Varnish Size—Oil 
and Glue Size—Sugar Size—White Enamel-—Using Paint 


es eee ee, cola Serko < doe wipin eb meee s tems otlein le eins 1 


i 


42 


49 


65 


80 


95 


CONT EN'L'S 


PAGE 


CHAPTER [X 


Coton THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND Use:—Color Pigments to — 


Match Spectrum Colors—Primary—Secondary—Tertiary 
—Complementary Colors—Terms—Color Card Chart— 


The New Color Theory. :. 2... ../s 0.5 5 ge seus eeneee n 142 


CHAPTER X 


COLORED PAINT MIxInG METHODS:—Experimental Mixing— 
Choice of Tinting Colors—Matching Color Samples— 
Watch Crystal Test—Matching Liquid Samples—Match- 
in a Dry Color Sample—Matching Gloss to Flat—Match- 
ing Flat to Gloss—One Color to Match Several—Match- 
ing Rough and Smooth Surfaces—Matching Fabric Color 


Samples . ic. cc ccs cc 6s te ace a wee'hro 5 os) tie ete tenets Eien 157 


CHAPTER XI 
MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS:—Undercoat Colors— 
Window Glass Putty—Knifing Putty—Swedish Putty— 
Quick-Setting Putty—Plaster of Paris Putty—Floor 
Paints—Floor Fillers—White and Colored Enamels— 


Color Varnish—Aluminum Paint..... bie 6 else ag ee 179 


CHAPTER XII 


Cotok HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT:—Descriptive Terms— 
Contrast of Values—Contrast of Hue—Contrast of In- 
tensity—Tones of One Color—Related Colors, Analogy— 
Complementary Colors—Stippled Pure Colors—Neutraliz- 
ing and Greying Colors—The Law of Simultaneous Con- 
trast—Colors Influence Life—Artificial Light........... 


CHAPTER XIII 


_ SELECTING CoLoR ScHEMES:—Climaxes and Centers of In- 
terest—Appropriateness—Balancing Living Room—Din- 
ing Room—Kitchens—Library and Private Offices—Bed 
Rooms—Hall—School, Church and Bank—Color Schemes 
for Children—Large Rooms—Small Rooms—North Ex- 
posure—South Exposure—Light and Dark Rooms—Wood 
Trim—Ceiling Colorings—Floor Colors and Designs— 


Pictures, Frames, Mats—Drapes and Window Shades— 


Panels and Stripes—Colors in Harmony—Color Mixing 
FOTMUIAS | 6's sv nin ovat Side la ate she iais ase sia woe aucnbene/ meee 


CHAPTER XIV 


PRINTING INKS:—History—Color Pigments and Dyes—Oils 
and Varnishes—Waxes—Ink Driers—Characteristies of 
TK 9. bcd 0 oe eos 0 0-0 wiereletsie ao sivie cle) 60a nie hele siteCl =i oa 


THE MIXING OF COLORS 
AND PAINTS 


CHAPTER I 
COLOR AND LIGHT 


Sunlight is the source of all color as well as of heat 
and light. With the setting sun all colors disappear 
from the earth. If it were not for artificial light our 
nights would be devoid of colors, relieved only by a con- 
trast of moonlight and shadows. 

Color is the property of light rays which causes visual 
action on the retina of the eye. 

The Spectrum.—In the rainbow we see an array of 
colors. The image is called the sun spectrum. The 
spectrum is caused by the reflection of light rays from 
the sun. The same array of colors, or spectrum, you 
will notice when a ray of light passes through a raindrop | 
or through a piece of three-sided plate glass, or a glass 
prism. 

Prism.—A solid glass body of triangular shape. 

A more formal definititon of a.spectrum is :—an image 
formed by rays of light passing through a glass prism 
in which the parts of light are arranged according to 
their wave lengths, forming a band displaying the colors 
of the rainbow. <A beam of light from any source, such 


as the sun or ignited vapors (gas), passing through a 


elass prism is reflected and separated into colored light 
rays; these projected upon a surface constitute the spec- 


trum. Red is red to the eye because it is composed of 
a | 


8 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


light ray vibrations of one wave length; blue is caused 
by a different wave length; yellow is vibrations of a still 
different wave length. 

The array of colors called the spectrum is identically 
the same in character, and in the order of their arrange- 
ment, whether seen in the rainbow, a raindrop or a glass 
prism. 

Primary Colors.——The strongest colors noted in the 
spectrum are red, blue and yellow. These are called 
the primary colors. In eolor theory all other colors are 
mixed from red, yellow and blue. 

Secondary Colors—Between these primary colors (red, 
blue, yellow) in the spectrum will be noticed violet, 
ereen and orange. These are called the secondary colors. 

Intermediate Colors——In the spectrum, again, be- 
tween the primary colors and secondary colors there are 
six intermediate colors. They are violet-red, blue-violet, 
blue-green, yellow-green, orange-yellow, orange-red. 

The order in which the colors of the spectrum are 
arranged is illustrated in Plate I. 

In nature color is lavished in over a thousand (actually 
eounted) delicate tints and shades on wild flowers, fish, 
birds, butterflies and other insects, or rocks, earth for- 
mations and elsewhere. And all of these colors are 
simply gradations of the primary, secondary and inter- 
mediate colors of the spectrum seen in the rainbow, the - 
raindrop and the glass prism through light reflections. 

Before passing on it is an excellent idea to study the 
spectrum. Since neither a rainbow nor a raindrop are 
likely to be handy when you want them, secure a glass 
prism or a piece of thick plate glass. Lay the glass flat 
on a desk or some dark surface in such away as to cause 
the direct rays of the sun to pass through the glass at 
an angle of about 45 degrees. It is easiest to do this 
with a late afternoon sun. . 

When we come to the subjects of ecclor mixing, color 


COLOR AND LIGHT 


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lyellow-green sd green J 


YELLOW 





——, 
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Plate 1.—Spectrum Order of Colors: Primary, Secondary 
and Intermediate Colors 


10 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


harmony and color use, later on in this book, more will 
be included about the practical use of primary, second- 
ary and intermediate colors. So it is well for the student 
to keep these divisions of the spectrum in mind, and, par- 
ticularly, that they are given to us through the laws of 
nature and the science of man. Man had nothing to do 
with the creation of the spectrum, but simply named it, 
classified its colors, and noted how they exist throughout 
the world. 

It is interesting to note that objects do not possess 
eolors of their own, but depend for color upon light 
reflected from their surface. By way of illustration, 
surfaces which are capable of reflecting all color rays 
appear red in red light, blue in blue light and white in 
daylight. In daylight all the color waves are present. 
Some surfaces are capable of absorbing all the light rays 
and reflect none ;—these surfaces appear black, no matter 
what colored light falls upon them. 

When part of all the light color rays is reflected and 
part absorbed, the surface appears gray. 

In the case of leaves on plants, they appear green 
because they reflect green rays and absorb all other ecol- 
ored light rays. If, however, a leaf is taken out of the 
sunlight and flooded with red light it will appear black, — 
because there are no green rays in the red light to be 
reflected by the leaf to the eye. 

Flowers are red, yellow or blue, depending upon their 
ability to absorb some colors and refiect others ;—that is 
true of all opaque objects. 

In the case of transparent surfaces, they are colored 
by their ability to sereen out certain light rays. Glass 
is red when only red rays pass through it. A glass or 
other surface which transmits all colors equally well, as 
does pure water in small amounts, is considered to be 
colorless. 


CHAPTER II 
DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 


We cannot paint and decorate with light rays and 
eolor reflections from the spectrum of the rainbow, rain- 
drops or a glass prism, as deseribed in Chapter I. 

Man has therefore searched out material substances 
from the soil, mines and vegetation, through his inge- 
nuity in manufacturing and chemistry, to match the 
colors he sees in the spectrum. What these color sub- 
stances are should next concern one who is anxious to 
become skilled in color mixing and use. 

The number of shades of a single color found upon 
the market today is legion ;—the siennas, umbers, vene-' 
tian and Indian reds, chrome yellows and ochres varying 
in shades depending upon what part of the world they 
come from, upon manufacturing, chemical, grading and 
toning processes employed in their production. 

These differences also have a bearing on _ prices 
charged for colors. The matter of price is always rela- 
tive as to colors; care must be exercised in buying and 
in using them. Each grade of colors is made for cer- 
tain purposes and it is wasteful or disappointing to 
use them indiscriminately; for instance, the use of a 
low-priced grade of tinting colors for rough barn paint- 
ing may prove satisfactory and economical, but such 
colors certainly would prove disappointing if used on 
fine interior decorating. And the use of decorators’ 
or artists’ colors for rough work would certainly prove 


expensive and wasteful. 
ets 11 


12 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


THE EARTH COLORS 

Among the first color pigments used by man in the 
early stages of civilization and, indeed, during the 
Savage ages, were colors which were nothing more than 
natural deposits of colored earth found in many parts 
of the world. The colors of these earth pigments are 
due to their content of more or less oxide of iron and 
other mineral substances. As a class they are perma- 
nent in color, durable and economical. 

The principal earth colors are raw umber, raw sienna, 
yellow ochre, mineral browns, venetian red and Indian 
red—the last two are now made by chemical processes. 
These are used just as they are dug out of the ground 
after washing and screening to eliminate roots, stones, 
ete. They are dried and ground to make them fine 
and are classified according to shades of color. Next 
they are mixed or ground in linseed oil or water, or 
Japan to make them ready for the painter. 

The earth colors are also burned, or calcined, to 
change their colors. Raw umber which is a dull, gray- 
ish brown, becomes a deep chocolate brown when eal- 
cined and is called burnt umber. Raw sienna, a rather 
dull yellow, becomes a cherry red in the burning pro- 
cess and is then called burnt sienna. 

Raw Sienna.—One of our most valuable colors, an 
earth pigment, named after the city of Sienna, Italy, 
near which natural deposits of an especially bright and 
clear yellow raw sienna earth were found. These were 
very fine, rich and transparent colors of great beauty 
and permanence. When mixed with a white base, 
clear and delicate tints result. 

Sienna earth is found in pockets surrounded by earth 
of a different character. It owes its color to hydrated 
silicate of iron, probably precipitated from ponds and 
bogs containing a solution of iron and silica. There 
are great variations between different deposits as to 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 13 


brightness of color, texture, fineness and freedom from 
sand and stone. High quality raw sienna is essentially 
a yellow ochre of great purity as to color. It is not 
only brighter in color but has greater tinting strength 
than yellow ochre and so produces clearer tints when 
mixed with a white base. It is not muddy, or cloudy 
like yellow ochre, but quite transparent, which makes 
it valuable for mixing stains, graining and glazing 
-ecolors. Both raw and burnt sienna are in the group 
of most permanent colors known and have been used 
for hundreds of years. 

Burnt Sienna.—Made by roasting raw sienna, which 
process changes the yellow color to rich brownish red. 
Burnt sienna, when properly roasted, possesses sub- 
stantially the same qualities as the raw sienna from 
which it is made, and is used for the same purposes in 
decorating and tinting where clear reds and pinks are 
wanted. 

Raw Umber.—ltaly claims the origin of umber as 
well as sienna. The color takes its name from Umbria, 
Italy. However, in modern times the island of Cypress, 
in the Mediterranean Sea, appears to be in possession 
of more deposits of this drab earth color. It has been 
marketed through Constantinople and so gained the 
name of Turkey umber. 

The characteristics and history of umber are much 
like sienna. The difference in color is due to its con- 
tent of a large percentage of manganese in addition to 
oxide of iron. This possession of manganese makes the 
umbers very good drying colors—raw umber, in fact, 
is used in the manufacture of liquid driers. 

Raw umber in color’is a dark, greenish brown. It is 
almost transparent, has great tinting strength and pro- 
duces clear tints when mixed with white. 

Raw umber is very durable, permanent to light and 
invaluable for mixing dark greens, olive greens and . 


14 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


cold drabs which are more permanent in strong light 
than those mixed from chrome green alone. Some of 
the umbers possess a reddish rather than a greenish 
tone and, of course, are not cold, but warm colors not 
so suitable in the mixing of greens. 

Burnt Umber.—Substantially the same as raw umber 
except for color. The calcining or roasting of raw um- 
ber changes its color from a greenish brown to a deep 
chocolate brown. This warm brown makes burnt umber 
a valuable color for tinting a white base to tan and 
many other useful colors in paints. It is a quite trans- 
parent color and so is extensively used for mixing stains, 
for glazing color and for graining. 

Yellow Ochre.—In this color we have another earth 
pigment. And it is doubtful if any color is found on 
the market having greater variations of quality. The 
name yellow ochre on a product may mean any one of 
several materials or grades. 

Deposits of yellow earth are found broadly distributed 
over the earth’s surface in the form of sand or clay. 
Not many of them have any real value as a color or 
paint pigment. 

In France deposits of the best quality yellow ochre 
are found and they are very similar to raw sienna. High 
grade French yellow ochre is clear and bright, as to 
color, but cannot be used as a glaze, stain or graining 
color. It is durable and permanent in strong light. 
Domestic and some other foreign yellow ochres are 
muddy and dull in color; they have not the tinting 
strength of French ochre and have but little in com- 
mon as a color, paint or tinter with French ochre. 

Correctly made yellow ochre is one of the most use- 
ful tinting colors, but unusual care must be shown by 
manufacturers in washing, floating and separating to 
eliminate coarse sand, if a color with good tinting 
strength is to be produced. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 15 


Yellow ochre is the body, the solid opaque yellow of 
nature, while raw sienna is the transparent yellow which 
ean be used as a glazing color and a stain. 

For the mixing of yellow tints—tans, creams, buffs 
and olive green—good French yellow ochre has no su- 
‘ perior; it is durable, fast to light and economical. 

Vandyke Brown.—An earth pigment of a rich, deep 
brown similar to but richer than burnt umber. It takes 
- its name from the old Dutch master, Vandyke, who 
used the color with remarkable effect. It is of bog 
origin and contains iron and bitumin. As made today 
Vandyke brown is quite permanent, is an excellent tint- 
ing color and so transparent that it is invaluable as a 
glazing and graining color where a richer brown than 
burnt umber is needed. It is unsurpassed for glazing 
old bronze effects and for staining to imitate old Eng- 
lish, antique and bog oaks. Used to color a white base, 
the tints have a lavender tinge to them. 


CHEMICAL COLORS 


The chief chemical colors commonly used are Pras- 
sian blue, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, black oxide of 
iron, black lead sulphide, graphite, manganese black, 
chrome green and chrome yellow. Chrome yellow is 
made in orange, medium and lemon. The vermilions 
—American, Chinese and English—are chemical colors, 
as are also Venetian red and Indian red. 

Such chemical colors as Prussian blue, chrome yellow 
and green are manufactured by mixing together cer- 
tain chemical solutions. The reaction which then occurs 
causes a precipitation, or throwing down, of a very fine 
colored pigment. When the chemical action has spent 
itself the water is drawn off the top of the tubs and 
the wet pigment is put into filter presses which squeeze 
out the balance of the water. 

These chemically pure colors are very strong and it 


16 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


would be wasteful, as well as expensive, to use them in 
the pure state; so they are ground in linseed oil, water 
(distemper) or Japan and at the same time inert white 
pigments are added as extenders to make the paste 
tinting colors such as the painting trade uses. These 
colors, like the earth pigments, are sold also in the dry 
powder form, principally for mixing caleimine. 

Lampblack.—A paint pigment of rather ancient origin 
and well known to all. It has great opacity and is an 
excellent pigment both for solid color and tinting pur- 
poses. A slow drying color which requires the addition 
of more than the usual amount of Japan drier. 

Lampblack is made in many ways and from many ma- 
terials which will burn with a slow, smoky flame. It 
is made from dead oil resulting from coal tar distilla- 
tion, also from rosin and tallow. 

The smoke from burning these oils is colsctad in 
chambers or bags attached to flues. The burning must 
be controlled by the amount of air admitted. Too much 
air makes grayish blacks and not enough air adds oil 
or volatile acid to the lampblack. In fact, much skill 
is required in the manufacture of lampblacks. Time 
must be allowed; if the burning is forced too rapidly 
an inferior black is produced which contains both oil 
and acid sufficient to cause spontaneous combustion. 
Thus a dangerous dry pigment to handle results and 
one which is slow to dry and likely to corrode metal be- 
cause of the acid content. Such a black paint destroys 
metal surfaces it is supposed to protect. Lampblack 
made of rosin is especially likely to do this and it is 
difficult to detect from other blacks. 

Gas and carbon blacks often added to high quality 
earbon black with the intention of giving greater tint- 
ing strength are really detrimental because they cause 
jet blacks to take on a brownish tone and also cause the 
pigment to separate from oil with which it is ground 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS se 


or mixed—uneven, streaky black paint and muddy gray 
tints are so produced. 

A high quality lampblack, then, is clear, jet black, 
of good tinting strength with white bases, one free from 
dangerous oils and acids and a black which will dry 
within a reasonable time without using an excess of 
drier. 

Drop Black—The name comes from the fact that 
when first marketed this pigment was sold in the form 
_ of small drops or lumps. It is no longer marketed that 
way. 

Drop black consisted of mixtures of animal and vege- 
table blacks ground to a very fine pigment in water, oil 
or Japan. The bulk of this black manufactured is used 
by sign, carriage and automobile painters. 

As now made drop black is a very fine quality of 
pigment resulting from burning animal bones to make 
charcoal, which is then ground, first in water, and then 
reground in oil, Japan or water and glue or gums for 
binders. 

For the manufacture of the finest ivory drop black 
only the hardest animal bones are used such as teeth 
and shinbones. The bones are crushed and roasted in 
erucibles to make the charcoal. Soft bones make blacks 
which have a brownish tone and which lack clearness. 
Such blacks are, obviously, much less valuable. 

Cheap bone blacks, called sugarhouse blacks, are made 
from the bone charcoal used in sugar refineries to bleach 
the sugar. When this charcoal has become saturated 
with color matter it is re-burned and ground for a cheap 
paint pigment. It lacks the beauty and clearness of 
ivory drop black. 

High quality drop black makes a beautiful pigment 
both for solid colors and tints and shades with a white 
base. Pearl grays, rich warm olives and bronze greens 
of pure and lively tone are mixed with it. 


18 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Drop black takes less oil than lampblack and is a 
slow drying pigment. It has greater density and opacity 
than lampblack. 

Ivory Black,—While a limited amount of ivory black 
is made from ivory chips and turnings, the bulk of 
this pigment is made from selected hard animal bones, 
the choice bones which are also valuable for making 
buttons and knife handles. 

This is a very clear, jet black particularly valuable 
as a solid color. It is not so strong for tinting pur- 
poses as some other blacks. 

Ivory black is made, like drop black, from bone char- 
coal and is also called ivory drop black. 

Indian Red.—One of the original colors extensively 
used and at first it was strictly an earth pigment. It 
was an especially bright oxide of iron earth found as 
a natural deposit near the Persian Gulf. 

As manufactured today Indian Red is really classed 
with the chemical color group. In steel mills certain 
acid liquors are used to remove scale from iron and 
steel. After such use these liquors were dumped as 
waste in years past and were very destructive of fish 
in the lakes and streams into which this waste was run. 

Today this waste acid containing iron scale is evapo- 
rated and from it sulphate of iron (copperas) is erys- 
tallized out. When this copperas is roasted a pure 
oxide of iron powder is recovered and the acid is again 
used to remove more scale. 

This oxide of iron is Indian red. Its quality, shade 
and strength vary according to the care and ability 
shown by its manufacturers in roasting the copperas, 
in freeing it from acid and in grinding it. If the acid 
is not eliminated completely it will start an iron or tin 
roof to rusting, instead of protecting such surfaces as 
a paint should. Consequently, this Indian red must be 
made by able chemists and manufacturers. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 1g! 


High quality Indian red, then, must be pure oxide 
of iron, free from corrosive acids, have a deep, rich red 
eolor with a purple tinge to it, have a non-fading qual- 
ity and possess good tinting strength. 

Venetian Red.—Originally an earth pigment, vene- 
tian red is made by substantially the same process as 
Indian red and should therefore be classed with the 
group of chemical colors. 

Venetian red is an oxide of iron red made by par- 
tially neutralizing the acid liquors used in removing 
mill scale from iron and steel as described under the 
section on Indian Red. 

In making venetian red the acid liquors are > mixed 
with lime. What is precipitated is sulphate of lime and 
hydrated oxide of iron. When this precipitate is roasted 
the acid is eliminated at a lower temperature than is 
needed in recovering Indian red and so venetian red 
is hg¢hter and brighter in color. 

Some of the cheap venetian reds used for box cars 
and rough barn work are recovered by crude processes 
and on a coarse, cheap base. While they are useful for 
some rough work, they do not compare favorably in 
value with venetian red made by highly efficient pro- 
eesses and better materials. 

The cheaper venetian reds are not suitable ae use as 
tinting colors and are not as good even for solid red 
paints. High class venetian red produces bright, lively 
tints and shades and is clear enough for delicate pink. 

Carefully selected venetian red ground to a fine pig- 
ment in linseed oil makes about the most durable red 
paint known today. 

Ultramarine Blue.—A most pleasing and valuable 
eolor made originally from a precious stone called Lapis 
Lazuli. It is a deep sky blue to a greenish blue in color. 
Made by a chemical process of burning in crucibles, 
such substances as China clay, carbonate of soda, sul- 


20 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


phate of soda, sulphur, quartz, infusorial earth, char- 
coal and rosin. 

It is interesting to note that in this process, dis- 
covered in 1828 by Guimet, a French chemist, the hot 
mass changes first to a beautiful rich brown- which takes 
fire and burns in defiance of many efforts to hold it 
as a color pigment. Next the mass turns green and 
this eolor also disappears in flames on exposure to the 
air. Blue appears next, but if heated too long, it turns 
to violet, then to red and finally to white. After the 
mass cools off, if the fire is extinguished at the right 
time, the top layer is a clear bright blue. The bottom 
layer is a greenish blue of a lower grade. 

Ultramarine blue is a combination of silica, alumina, 
sulphur and soda. The sulphur content of this color 
makes it an unsatisfactory blue to use with white lead, 
since sulphur turns white lead carbonate to lead sul- 
phide, which is black. Traces of sulphur and sulphide 
in ultramarine blue discolor many pigments but not zine 
oxide. It is not safe to use this blue with white lead. 

The deep, rich color of ultramarine blue with its 
purple tinge is far more pleasing than Prussian blue, 
which has a greenish cast to it. Ultramarine blue is 
an excellent tinting color and glazing color; it is perma- 
nent in light (except with white lead) and durable on 
exposure to weather. 

Ultramarine blue may be used on new plaster or 
cement walls, since lime, soda and alkali do not affect 
this blue. Fading and spotting occur when Prussian 
blue is used on such surfaces. 

Cobalt Blue.—This is a color which is substantially 
the same as ultramarine blue—it is the purest and 
lightest blue so made, having neither the purple tone 
of most ultramarine from the top of the crucible nor 
the greenish cast of the bottom layer. 

Cobalt is a most beautiful color pigment deserving 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 21 


of wider use by painters and decorators for delicate 
azure tints, using zine oxide as the white base. White 
lead should not be used, unless in small proportions 
with zine, since the sulphur content of cobalt blue may 
discolor the white lead, changing it to lead sulphide. 

For the mixing of clear, ight greens with zine, or 
compounds where zine predominates, cobalt is very fine. 
It is strong in tinting strength, durable and permanent 
in strong heht. Hot lime and alkali spots in new 
plaster or cement walls do not spot and fade this blue 
as with Prussian blue. 

Real cobalt blue is a combination of oxide of cobalt 
metal with alumina. It is so made for use as artists’ 
water colors. It isn’t so good as an oil color. The high 
eost of real cobalt blue prevents its general use in 
quantities. 

Prussian Blue.—The best known and most extensively 
used of the blue pigments. Varying shades of Prussian 
blue are marketed under such names as Berlin, Chinese 
and Milori blue. 

This is a chemical color discovered by accident. In 
the year 1700 a Berlin colormaker learned that when 
ox-blood and wood were burned together, the ashes 
yielded a yellow solution which could be precipitated by 
iron as a brilliant blue color pigment. This yellow so- 
lution was yellow prussiate of potash or ferrocyanide of 
potassium. | 

The chemical process used in making Prussian blues 
now has, of course, been perfected far beyond its crude 
beginning. As done today yellow prussiate of potash 
is mixed with sulphate of iron (copperas) and the re- 
sult is that a fine white pigment is precipitated. On 
being exposed to the air this white substance oxidizes 
into blue. 

The blue color may have a purple, bronze or green 
east to it or it may be quite a pure blue, depending 


22 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


upon the manipulation during the chemical process of 
formation. 

Lime, soda, white wash, hot spots in new plaster and 
cement walls cause Prussian blue to fade and tints made 
with it to become spotty. 

Prussian blues are rather fugitive in sunlight and 
are not used on exterior painting. They are among 
the strongest tinting colors and produce bright and 
clear tints on any white base. Prussian blue is used 
cons*derably as a glazing color. 

Chrome Yellow.—Chromium is a metal remarkable for 
the beautiful colors it compounds. The precious stone 
called emerald has wonderous beauty because it con- 
tains chromium. 

Chromium combined with lead produces a series of 
yellows which is most valuable. These yellows range 
from pale canary, citron or lemon yellows, through 
medium shades of yellows to orange chrome and finally 
to orange, red and scarlet. 

These beautiful colors are made by the mixture of 
chemical solutions. Solutions of bichromate of potash, 
or soda, are mixed with solutions of nitrate or acetate 
of lead; from this a yellow pigment is precipitated. 
The water is drawn off, the pigment is put through a 
filter press to remove more moisture and is then ground 
in oil for the market. 

Manipulations of the chemicals and other elements in 
the process enable the manufacturer to make the many 
yellows in this group: Canary, Lemon, Light Medium, 
Medium, Light Orange, Orange and red-orange chrome 
yellows. 

Chrome yellows are bright, clear and opaque colors 
with great tinting strength. Because they are not trans- 
parent they are not suitable for glazing colors, stains 
or graining. They are very durable as protective coat- 
ings and quite permanent as to color in strong light. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 23 


If not well made they are easily affected by gases of 
the atmosphere and strong light, which cause them to | 
fade, get spotty and dingy. 

Chrome Green.—The combination of Prussian blue 
and lemon chrome yellow makes chrome green. The 
combination is made intimately at the time the two 
color pigments are precipitated from the solutions. 

This intimate mixture is very important; that is, the 
time when the blue and yellow are mixed. When each 
eolor is made separately (a yellow and a blue) and 
mixed later to make green a separation may occur and 
fading is pronounced. For this reason it is much bet- 
ter for painters to mix tints and shades of green by 
adding chrome green to white or a color than by add- 
ing blue and yellow to white or a color. When the 
medium chrome green is used the paint will not fade 
so soon as when blue and yellow are used to make green. 
In one ease it is an intimate chemical mixture, while in 
the other purely a mechanical mixture, and so the two 
eolors are more likely to separate and fade in the me- 
chanical mixture. | 

Chrome greens, except the very dark colors, made 
largely of raw umber, are not permanent in sunlight. 
They are excellent tinting colors, and are bright and 
elear. They are used for. glazing colors and may be 
used for stains. 

Chinese and English Vermilions.—A chemical color, 
a sulphide of murecury, which is quite a permanent, 
brilliant red. English vermilion is practically the 
same as Chinese, but American vermilion is quite a dif- 
ferent pigment. Though its color is brilliant, too, the 
latter is permanent in strong light. 

The Chinese and English vermilions should not be 
used with white lead, chrome yellows, chrome greens, 
any of the copper colors or emerald green. UntfaYor- 
able chemical reactions result. 


24 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


American Vermilion.—A basic chromate of lead, 
brilliant red, made by the same chemical process as are 
the chrome yellows. It is fine in texture, has a clear 
color, is a strong tinting color and has remarkable cover- 
ing capacity. 


ANILINE AND COAL TAR COLORS 


These, too, are chemical colors, but they are taking 
such an important part in painters’ materials that 
special mention is due them. Anilines are made from 
coal tar products, the by-products of coke ovens. Thou- 
sands of products come from the coal tar derivatives, 
but the aniline colors—dye stuffs—interest the painter 
chiefly. 

The anilines resulting from chemical processes are 
very fine pigments in texture and have great coloring 
strength. These colors are precipitated upon inert 
base pigments like barytes and are sold as dry stain 
colors, as tinting colors, and for many other purposes. 
Some of the dull earth pigments, venetian red, ochre 
and others are toned or brightened by adding aniline 
colors to them. 

The transparent and semi-transparent colors used by 
artists and decorators are such as have good staining and 
tinting ability but have little or no opacity, no ability 
to hide a surface. 

The lakes are used as glaze coats or stain coats by 
mixing them with oils, varnishes and volatile liquids. 
The surface is first painted in opaque pigments for cor- 
rect ground colors and the glaze coat is then put on as 
a finish to give depth of tone; to be wiped-out or high- 
hghted in places. ) 

Furniture and polychrome finishers use glaze colors 
over burnished gold and silver leaf or bronze covered 
surfaces. The auto and carriage painter uses them on 
fine body finishing to produce deep, lustrous colors. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 25 


The artist uses lakes for floral and other hand decora- 
tions. 

At first lake colors were made from natural vegetable 
and earth products. Few are so made today. Most lake 
colors used today are made from artificial substances, 
principally from coal tar dyes. They consist of every 
possible color, shade, tone and degree of permaneney. 

Aniline lake colors are used in much greater quantity 
by the printing ink industry and dye manufacturers 
than by the paint industry. 

The first artificial aniline dyes called mauve and 
magenta were made by Perkins from coal tar in 1865. 
From that beginning a tremendous development has 
taken place. Now all the dyestuffs are of artificial 
aniline origin with but one or two exceptions. Natural 
madder lake and even natural indigo have been largely 
displaced. 

The dyestuffs derived from coal tar. products are 
legion. In the paint industry we hear most about aniline, 
alizarine red, nigrosene black, para red, chinolin and 
eoal tar indigo, but there are many more. 

The coal tar dyes come to the painter in dry powder 
form for use in mixing wood stains. Some are soluble 
in water, some in alcohol and some in oil. Many of the 
colors now used are toned with these aniline and other 
eoal tar dyes. 


LAKE COLORS 


Painters and decorators in the building trades do 
not have occasion to use many of the lake colors ex- 
eept for decorating in the fine arts, although rose lake, 
rose pink and Dutch pink, lake colors, are rather gen- 
erally known. Automobile and carriage painters use 
lakes extensively for high class work, and decorative 
artists also use-them. 

‘Lakes are made by a variety of manufacturing 


26 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


processes. Generally speaking, they consist of organic 
color united with metallic and mineral bases as defi- 
nite compounds. The name—lakes—is rather odd and 
not at all descriptive, but it probably just happened 
from the practice of artists and craftsmen hundreds of 
years ago who used the dried scum skimmed off the 
top of ‘‘lac’’ dye vats. 

Natural dyes extracted from woods and vegetation 
of various kinds at first constituted the organic portion 
of lake pigments—Brazil wood, sapanwood, parnambuc, 
oak bark, quercitron, fustic, lac and ecochineal from in- 
sects were commonly used. The modern manufacturing 
processes use aniline colors from coal tar principally 
for the organic part of lake colors, although some dyes 
of vegetable origin are still in use to some extent. 

The mineral or metallic bases for lake colors are 
alumina, tin, lead and chromium in solution. 

By way of illustration, rose lake, rose pink and 
Vienna lake are made by cutting into chips the wood and 
bark of Brazilwood, sapanwood or parnambue from 
South America. These woods contain, when fresh, a 
dye substance called brazilein. The chips are permitted 
to dry out thoroughly and by this oxidizing the dye color 
is made available. The chips are next placed in large 
steel cylinders and subjected to the action of steam un- 
der pressure. The colored liquor thus extracted is al- 
lowed to stand so all sediment and foreign particles may 
be taken out by settlement and by filtering. 

The clear liquor is mixed with alum or tin. Carbonate 
of lime is used in making cheaper lakes. From this 
-mixture a clear, fine transparent and rich wine-colored 
pigment is precipitated. The color is then separated 
from the liquid by filtering and drying. When ground 
with oil, Japan or water it is ready for the trade. 

This group of lakes is valuable principally to artists, 
decorators, furniture finishers and automobile painters. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 27 


They must be protected by varnish or other transparent 
coatings, as they are too fugitive for outside exposure. 
It is difficult to find anything to equal them for rich 
wine, maroon and pink tints. 

Dutch pink isn’t pink at all, but a transparent yellow 
lake. It is made of the extract from oak bark or querci- 
tron precipitated,by alum on a base of carbonate of lime. 
The peeuliar quality of Dutch pink is that it retains 
its yellow tone at night even when subjected to gas heht. 
It produces greens and olives which also retain their 
tones in artificial light. 

The more expensive lakes of this group—Carmine 
and madder—cost too much to be used in quantity, 
or for any except decorative purposes where small 
amounts are needed. 


VEGETABLE COLORS 


Before the advent of chemical and aniline colors, 
vegetable colors were extensively used, especially for 
stains and dyes. Some were made from decayed vege- 
tation found in swamps—Vandyke brown was one of 
these. Brunswick black is a vegetable color made from 
charcoal secured by burning twigs and vines. Walnut 
hulls, oak tree bark (tan bark) and some of the trans- 
parent lake colors used by automobile painters are of 
vegetable origin. 


ANIMAL COLORS 


Bone black, ivory drop black and some of the ear- 
riage or coach blacks are made from burned bones of 
animals. The charcoal obtained is ground fine in ln- 
seed oil, turpentine, Japan or water (distemper). 

Carmine is an insect color, since it is secured from 
cochineal, a scarlet dyestuff consisting of the dried 
bodies of certain insects gathered from the cactus plants 
of Mexico and from the West Indies. 


28 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


METAL BRONZE COLORS 


In addition to the bronze powder and paints com- 
monly used for painting steam and hot water radiators 
in homes in gold and aluminum, there are other grades 
and colors used extensively by artists, interior deco- 
rators and furniture finishers. 

These bronzes come in dry powder form in one-ounce 
papers and one-pound cans. The bronze color pigments 
are made of real metals. By rolling and beating them 
into very thin sheets and grinding them exceedingly 
fine, very serviceable pigments are made. 


ARTISTS’ AND DECORATORS’ COLORS 


Such color pigments as are commonly used for interior 
decoration, furniture finishing, polychrome finishing 
and, by artists for pictorial painting constitute quite a 
different class from colors made for exterior house 
painting. 

While many of the principal colors, like the umbers 
and siennas, used for exterior paints are also made in 
clearer, brighter and more select grades for use by 
artists and decorators, many of the color pigments in 
the artists’ and decorators’ palette are too fugitive and 
expensive to use for exterior paints. 

Descriptions of colors used for exterior paints will be 
found in Chapters IJ, III and IV. 

The following brief descriptions of colors in com- 
mon use will help to identify them in the students’ 
mind: 


REDS 


Vermilions.—Above in this chapter American ver- 
milion is described. It is a basic chromate of lead and 
is quite a different color from English, French and Chi- 
nese vermilions, which are made of sulphur and mer- 
cury. These colors are found naturally in large quan- 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 29 


tities as the mineral cinnabar. The natural cinnabar is 
not brilliant enough in color, however. Most of the 
English vermilion is made by chemical process. 

American vermilion is used mostly in the commercial 
arts, while English, French and Chinese vermilions are 
used in the fine arts and are more expensive. The lat- 
ter colors seriously retard the drying of oil and also 
tend to turn black on exposure to the air. 

American Vermilion is commonly used where a bril- 
liant red is needed, although a durable red of even 
greater brilliance for some decorative purposes can be 
made by toning alizarine crimson with cadmium orange. 

All of the sulphide of mercury vermilions—(except 
American, which is a lead chromate color)—should not 
be mixed with white lead or such lead colors as light, 
lemon, medium and orange chrome yellows nor with 
American vermilion. The sulphur of the mercury colors 
eauses the lead colors to darken. The mercury ver- 
milions also cause unfavorable chemical reactions on 
colors from a copper base such as emerald, verdigris 
and malachite greens. 

American vermilion was very extensively used a few 
years ago for painting farm machinery, but it has been 
displaced by the more brilliant artificial para reds made 
from coal tar dye and which are less expensive. 

American vermilion is superior to most pigments as 
a protective coating for iron. It is very heavy and too 
expensive for general use in this manner. 

Vermilionette.—Made from the coal tar dye eosine as 
the coloring matter for tinting an inert base like 
barytes. The colors range from rather pale pink to 
deep scarlet. These colors have been much used in 
automobile and carriage paints. Vermilionettes fade 
in sunlight. 

Tuscan Red—Rather a bright red made by toning 
to brighten the color of oxide of iron red—reds like 


30 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Venetian and Indian—with alizarine red, which is a 
coal tar red. As made today it is permanent as to 
color, stable chemically and doesn’t bleed. 

Harrison Red—A permanent bright red coal tar 
product. Not so brilliant as vermilion but used in place 
of it at times. It is more transparent than vermilion 
and is quite stable, mixing well with madder lakes and 
cadmium yellows. <A slow drying pigment. 

Inght Red—A very permanent red which has great 
tinting strength and good drying qualities. Stable 
chemically and mixes well with all colors. Made by 
roasting yellow ochre. 

Magenta (Mauve).—A purple red made from coal tar 
dyes on an alumina base. Brilliant and beautiful but 
very fugitive to hght. Used only for temporary work. 

Mars Red.—An oxide of iron pigment similar to the 
ochres. Rather slow drying, Permanent in color and 
may be mixed with all mineral colors, but not with gen- 
uine or natural lake colors. 

Scarlet Vermilion.—A sulphide of mereury vermilion 
similar to English, French and Chinese vermilions. 

Terre Rosa—A natural earth pigment which drys 
well and is permanent in color. It is stable and mixes 
with other colors. Chemically it is sesquioxide of iron 
and clay. 

Scarlet Lake-—Genuine natural madder lake. 

Geranium Lake—A coal tar lake color made from 
eosine., | 

Crimson Madder.—A deep red of transparent char- 
acter. Genuine madder is made from madder root. Per- 
manent when used with good judgment only as a glaze 
color. Not stable when mixed with chemical colors or 
ochres. 

Carmine.—The lake color called French ecarmine is 
made by extracting coloring matter from cochineal in- 
sects. Vast quantities of these insects are secured from 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 31 


Mexico and South America. Carmine is transparent, 
rather a slow drying color and not permanent for long 
in strong light, though a most brilliant red. The insect 
bodies are dried, the color is extracted by boiling them 
in water and then precipitated on an alumina clay 
base. Carmine lake has been made over 200 years, This, 
like all lake colors, must be used over correct ground 
colors, since it is too transparent to hide the surface. 
They are strong in tinting and staining power, but have 
little opacity. 

Pink Madder.—Similar to genuine madder lake or 
alizarine lake, but a lighter color. 

Alizarine Crimson Lake——One of the coal tar lakes. 
Transparent, permanent in color and a good drying 
color. A purple-red in color. Genuine or natural crim- 
son lake is made from the same cochineal insects and in 
largely the same way as carmine. 

Alizarine Lake-—A. transparent aniline lake color of 
ereat tinting and staining ability. Quite similar to sear- 
let and carmine in color. Alizarine is used extensively 
for making fast mahogany stains and also for a glaz- 
ing color by decorators in place of natural madder lake. 
Its greatest use is for brightening oxide of iron in mak~ 
ing permanent Tuscan reds. 

Alizarine Red.—A coal tar dye color of brillant hue. 
Permanent in color and stable. 

Eosine Red—A coal tar dye used with orange min- 
eral to make vermilions. It is fugitive to strong light. 

Para Red.—One of the most extensively used of the 
coal tar reds. It is used alone and also mixed with 
orange mineral for vermilions. This para nitranaline. 
red has remarkable opacity. One pound of it in a gal- 
lon of varnish will cover solidly in one coat and hide 
black. Its opacity is so great that it is commonly sold 
in the proportion of only 10% to 12% of color on a 
white inert base like barytes or whiting. And certain 


32 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


farm implement manufacturers specify this red to be’ 
made with 5% color, 10% zine and 85% barytes. 

The weakness of para red is its tendency to ‘‘bleed.’’ 
It is soluble in oil and works its way up through var- 
nish, enamel and paint. Sometimes shellac will seal it 
up and sometimes aluminum paint will seal it. 

Tolwidine Red.—A coal tar aniline color similar to 
para red but lighter in color. It does not bleed like 
para red and is the fastest known organic color, being 
quite remarkable in permanence. It is greatly used as 
a sign painter’s red. Because its cost is much greater 
than that of para red, it is not used in the implement 
manufacturing industry. 

Rose Pink.—A lake color made from hypernic. Trans- 
parent but has an agreeable red color, good staining and 
tinting ability. Made quite like scarlet lake, using am- 
anarth and acid rubine. 

Rose Lake—Similar to rose pink in manufacture but 
slightly different in color hue. 

Rubens Madder.—Genuine natural madder lake. 

Rose Dore.—Genuine natural madder lake. 

Rose Carthame.—Made at first from the flowers of the 
earthamus plant. Now made from eosine dye, a coal 
tar product. Not permanent as to color. 

Rose Madder.—Genuine natural madder lake. 

Scarlet Madder.—Genuine natural madder lake. 

Madder Lake.—Made from madder root and is econ- 
sequently of vegetable origin. A beautiful, transpar- 
ent lake which is extensively used by artists and decora- 
tors. A deep red in color useful only for glazing. Gen- 
uine madder is quite permanent when so used. 

The vegetable madder lake has been almost entirely 
superseded today by a color made artificially and known 
as alizarine lake. 

Nopal Red.—This is an aniline color which is fugi- 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 33 


tive in strong light. Nopal. orange has the same char- 
acteristics. | 

Orange Vermilion.—A yellow red similar to English, 
French and Chinese vermilions. <A sulphide of mercury 
color. 

Scarlet Lake.—A different color from scarlet ver- 
milion. Scarlet lake is quite like carmine as to color. 
Made from scarlet acid, barium chloride, blane fixe and 
soda sulphate or sulphuric acid. 


BLUES 


Among the blues used extensively by artists and dec- 
orators probably ultramarine, called French blue some- 
times, is most popular. French blue is really ultrama- 
rine blue and is the most carefully prepared pigment 
of that series. It contains less sulphur than other ultra- 
marines. French blue is especially valued for use with 
alizarine crimson to mix purples, having great plastic 
qualities. 

Cobalt Bluwe.—Oxide of cobalt metal. It is very val- 
uable since it possesses the most extensive utility among 
the sulphur blues. It is chemically stable and may be 
mixed with nearly all colors and white bases. When 
well made it has but a very small sulphur content. 
New blue has about the same appearance of purity of 
tone and is a less expensive cobalt blue. Cobalt blue 
is used extensively in ceramic manufacturing, for pot- 
tery, dishes and many other articles of merchandise. 
In the past its cost has been a bit higher than that of 
Prussian blue. 

Cerulean Blue.—Related to cobalt blue and when 
made from the oxides of cobalt, zine and chromium it 
is permanent and stable for mixing with other colors. 
It is sometimes gritty and hard to manage; also it pos- 
sesses a tendency to turn to a greenish hue with age. 


34 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Cobalt Violet (cobalt purple).—A good pigment for 
use with ultramarine in mixing violets, making brilliant 
colors. Cobalt violet (or purple) ‘is an excellent dry- 
ing pigment which doesn’t have much tinting strength, 
but is a good base for use with rose madder and others 
of the lake pigment class. 

Prussian Blue—Has a greater tendency to fade in 
strong light than other blues, but when used with other 
colors which form agreeable chemical combinations it is 
a valuable blue which is permanent. Faded Prussian 
blue regains its full color when placed in absolute dark- 
ness. Artists and decorators usually mix a Prussian 
blue color by adding emeraude green to ultramarine blue 
and a color permanent to light results. 

Antwerp Blue.—A Prussian blue to which alumina 
hydrate has been added. The latter pigment is re- 
sponsible for the translucency of Antwerp blue. Rather 
a permanent color except when mixed with lead colors 
‘like chrome yellows and American vermilion; it is 
likely to turn to a greenish hue when mixed with these 
colors. Antwerp blue is mixed by artists and decorators 
from ultramarine blue and emeraude green when a per- 
manent color is needed. 

Chinese Blue.—A Prussian blue of a slightly different 
hue. 

Verditer Blue—A light blue made from sulphate of 
copper; color used extensively at one time by the wall 
paper industry. 

Mars Violet.—A selected and specially prepared form 
of yellow chrome which owes its color to oxide of iron. 
Rather slow to dry but permanent as to color and in 
mixtures except that it must not be mixed with lake 
colors. 

Purple Lake.-—Same as crimson lake with a variation 
of color. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 35 


YELLOWS 

In the artists and decorators’ palette cadmium lemon 
or pale yellow, cadmium yellow, cadmium deep yellow 
and cadmium orange are sulphide colors and should not 
be mixed with white lead or light, lemon, medium or 
orange chrome yellow, nor with American vermilion. 
Mixing such colors together releases sulphur and causes 
detrimental discoloration—darkening the mixture. 

Cadnuum Yellow—The cadmium yellows—pale, lem- 
on, deep and orange—are artists’ and decorators’ colors 
of considerable value. Prices for these colors are appar- 
ently high, but they are economical because they have 
great tinting strength. Cadmium lemon yellow, even 
though it- has somewhat of a warm hue, transmits an 
exceptional amount of green staining strength when 
mixed with blue—and likewise makes strong and clear 
orange colors when mixed with red. 

Cadmium yellows as a class are quite permanent for 
interior decoration, furniture finishing and_ pictorial 
painting—orange cadmium is especially permanent. It 
ought not to be mixed with white lead, chrome yellows, 
American vermilion nor with any of the colors made 
from a copper base. 

Lemon Zinc Yellow.—Mixed with blue black produces 
warm durable greens of great value in landscape paint- 
ing. Zine yellow is balanced in color exactly between 
Chinese vermilion and emeraude green. Zine yellow, 
alizarine scarlet and cobalt blue constitute a palette of 
permanent colors for artists and interior decorators 
which meets nearly every demand in color mixing. A 
chromate of zine which changes to a greenish hue when 
exposed to strong light and remains fixed with that color, 
A permanent color after changing to greenish yellow. 

Cobalt Yellow (aureolin). —A yellow which has good 
transparency for glazing. A good drying color and one 
which is fairly permanent to light except when mixed 


36 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


with certain lake colors. Used as a glazing color, it is 
serviceable over any. color. For making lght yellow 
tints from this yellow, zine oxide should be used. Chem- 
ically cobalt yellow is a double nitrate of cobalt: and 
potassium. 

Citron Yellow.—A chromate of zine pigment which is 
fairly permanent to ight. What fading does oceur in 
time is toward a greenish hue, where it remains perma- 
nently fixed. <A stable color, chemically, which mixes 
well with other colors. Varnishing retards the fading 
of this color. 

Naples Yellow.—A useful color mixed from cadmium 
orange and zine oxide. Permanent and a good drying 
pigment. 

Indian Yellow.—A useful color which is rather per- 
manent except when placed so the direct rays of the 
sun strike it. When faded it regains its color in dark- 
ness. Indian yellow is a good drying pigment which 
is stable chemically and mixes satisfactorily with other 
colors. 

Mars Yellow.—This color, together with Mars Orange, 
Mars Brown, Mars Violet and Mars Red, belongs to the 
ochre class and owes its color to oxide of iron. Slow 
drying colors which are permanent and which may be 
mixed with other colors of a mineral nature. They 
should not be mixed with lake colors. 

Permanent Yellow—A color made of chromate of 
barium and zine oxide. Permanent to light and stable 
chemically for mixing with other colors. It should not 
be mixed with raw ochres. 

Lemon Yellow (Perfect Yellow).—A chromate of 
barium color. Permanent to light. Generally a stable 
color, but should not be mixed with madders because of 
unfavorable reactions. 

Strontian Yellow—A fairly permanent yellow of a 
neutral hue. Made of chromate of strontium. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 37 


Golden Ochre.—Raw sienna. 

Dutch Pink.—A yellow color made from quercitron, 
the bark from trees. Not a really permanent color. Has 
good transparency but is superseded by more permanent 
vellows. 

Yellow Lake-—Made from quercitron bark, as are also 
Duteh pink and brown pink. A fugitive yellow trans- 
parent color as made originally, but coal tar yellow lakes 
now made are more nearly permanent. 

Gamboge.—A yellow gum resin of natural origin. Has 
the same transparent nature as lake pigments, but is 
not permanent in color. Of little value for permanent 
decoration. 

Italian Pink.—A transparent lake nearer yellow than 
pink in color. Made from aniline color and is perma- 
nent. It is stable chemically and dries well. 

BROWNS 

Asphaltum (bitumen).—A transparent mineral pitch 
used to some extent as a stain when thinned with ben- 
zine, and for a glazing color with other colors added 
to it. 

Brown Ochre.—Similar to yellow ochre but having a 
brown color. It is a native earth pigment. 

Caledonian Brown.—Not a color pigment but made 
by mixing burnt sienna and Vandyke brown. A good 
drying and permanent color. 

Mars Brown.—See mars red and mars yellow for same 
deseription except as to color. 

Sepia.—Made of coloring matter from the cuttle fish. 
Not permanent to light. Sepia color is commonly mixed 
from other colors which are permanent. 

Vandyke Brown.—See Chapter IT. 

Bone Brown.—Made from charred bone dust. A fugi- 
tive color of no value for permanent decoration. Ivory 
black toned with raw umber will reproduce the color of 
this pigment and give you a permanent, stable color. 


38 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Brown Madder.—Made from the natural madder root 
the same as genuine madder lake, but of a brownish hue. 
Fairly permanent in color, but in time fades to a yellow 
hue. 

Brown Pink—A warm brown lake color made from 
quereitron bark. It is a fugitive color of little value for 
permanent decoration. 


GREENS 


There is an abundance of valuable green pigments 
uscful for interior decorating, furniture finishing and 
general decorative purposes which are not commonly 
used for tinting exterior paints. Emeraude green 
(called veridine green), cobalt green and oxide of chro- 
mium are all dependable greens where brilliance and 
clear tones are needed. 

Beautiful olive green tints and shades may be mixed 
from emeraude green and raw sienna toned with zine 
yellow. 

Cobalt Green is a semi-transparent color and is per- 
manent and stable for intermixture with other colors. 
Mixed with zine it makes beautiful green tints. 

Permanent Green.—The colors ealled permanent 
greens are less expensive than emeraude and veridine 
greens and serve many purposes quite as well. They 
are chemically the same, but are extended with alumina 
hydrate. 

Emerald (Paris) Green.—An aceto-arsenite of cop- 
per color and the most brilliant of all greens. It has 
little strength as a tinting color. Used alone it is 
opaque. It is not a good color to mix with other colors, 
being not chemically agreeable. Green tints and shades 
quite as useful can be mixed from emeraude green and 
lemon cadmium yellow. Being a compound of copper 
and arsenic, emerald green is very poisonous and is 
used much more as an insecticide than as paint. 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 39 


Emeraude (viridian) Green.—A brilliant color and 
the most permanent to light. Completely stable chem- 
ically and may be mixed with all other colors. Chem- 
ically it is hydrate sesquioxide of chromium. 

Malachite Green.—Made from a copper base and has 
little tinting strength. It is especially fugitive in the 
presence of sulphuretted hydrogen gas from stagnant 
water. Chemically it is hydrated carbonate of copper. 
Its color can be matched with emeraude green, zine oxide 
and raw sienna. 

Verdigris Green.—Used alone for glazing to a limited 
extent, but rather fugitive to light and especially af- 
fected by sulphur gasses. Must not be used with lake 
eolors, which it destroys. Chemically it is acetate of 
copper. 

Brunswick Green.—Also called Bremen green. <A 
variation of chrome green. 

Chrome Oxide Green.—An oxide of the metal chro- 
mium. A very useful green permanent in light. Stable 
chemically and may be mixed with all other colors. It 
is opaque and drys well. It is not the same as ordinary 
chrome green made by precipitating Prussian blue and 
chrome yellow together. Chrome oxide green ranges in 
eolor from dull olive to bluish green. It hasn’t much 
tinting streneth for mixture with white, but it is very 
fast in color. It doesn’t fade in strong light and is little 
affected by acid or alkali. 

Inme Proof Green.—Used for calcimine and cement 
tinting purposes. Made from a natural earth called terre 
verte or green earth which absorbs Emerald (Paris) 
ereen crystals and auramine yellow, an aniline basic 
color. These greens are not changed by alkali and are 
much improved in their- permanence of color in strong 
light. 

Sap Green.—A rather permanent color made from 
coal tar dye. 


40 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Zinc Chromate—Bright yellowish green of a deep 
lemon yellow color. 


BLACKS 


Blue Black—A black pigment made from charcoal 
secured by burning vines and twigs. A carbon black 
which is permanent and of good drying character. 

Indigo.—A natural color extensively used by the dye 
industry. It is an extract from the indigo plant. A 
blue-black pigment which drys slowly and fades in sun- 
light. It should not be mixed with lead or lead colors. 
The blue tone of indigo can be duplicated by mixing 
ivory black, ultramarine blue and a bit of emeraude 
ereen. This makes a permanent and good drying black. 

Indigo is now made from coal tar dye and is widely 
used. 


WHITE AND GREY 


Blanc de Laque—A transparent white pigment. 
Alumina hydrates called white lake and used by mix- 
ing with opaque colors to add translucency. 

Paynes Grey.—A mixture of ultramarine blue, ivory 
black and a bit of yellow ochre. 

Artists’ and Decorators’ Palette—Colors which are 
permanent and may be intermixed by artists and dec- 
orators for interior building and furniture decoration, 
but not for exterior paints, are these: 


Alizarin* Madders Permanent Blue 
Genuine Madders Cobalt Blue 
Cadmium Yellow Cobalt Violet 
Cadmium Orange Cerulean Blue 
Lemon Yellow (Barium Indian Red 
Chromate) Light Red 
Emeraude’ Green Burnt Sienna 
Viridine Green Burnt Umber 


Oxide of Chromium Green Vandyke Brown 


DESCRIPTIONS OF COLOR PIGMENTS 41 


Ivory Black Transparent Gold Ochre 
Blue Black Yellow Ochre 
Lamp Black The Mars Colors 
Vermilion, American Raw Sienna 
Vermilion, Mereury, (with Raw Umber 

zine, not lead) Venetian Red 


Ultramarine (with zine, Lead Whites 
not lead) Zine White 


CHAPTER III 
PROPERTIES OF COLOR PIGMENTS 


Opaque Colors——These are such as hide the surface 
more or less completely. 

The blacks are the most conspicuous, of course, in this 
group. 

In the red group of tinting colors for house paints 
all cover well; venetian red, Indian red and American 
vermilion hide the surface very well. 

Among the blue pigments all are quite opaque, except. 
when mixed thin for glazing and staining. 

Of the yellows, the chrome yellows being made on a 
white lead base, are the most opaque. In fact, the other 
yellows are commonly used as glaze colors because they 
possess a degree of transparency. Yellow ochre, except 
in the high grades of French ochre, is rather opaque and 
too muddy, as the decorator puts it, to be used for glaz- 
ing or mixing stains. 

Greens are all opaque, yet they are transparent 
enough in most grades to be used for glazing when mixed 
‘thin. 

Browns are also fairly opaque when finely ground and 
used in a thick film, but all are excellent glaze colors, 
because of their degree of transparency when mixed 
thin. 

White pigments which are really opaque are limited 
in number. White lead has held first place in the mat- 
ter of opacity for hundreds of years and its many vir- 
tues may keep it in first place indefinitely. 

Of recent years titanium oxide has made claim to 


honors as the most opaque white pigment, but its case 
42 


PROPERTIES OF COLOR PIGMENTS 43 


has not yet been fully substantiated as an all-around 
equal to white lead. 

Zine Oxide has held second place for opacity among 
white pigments suitable for outside painting and it has 
held first place in the matter of fineness for years. It is 
not as opaque as white lead, however. 

Then, considering only the quality of opaqueness and 
not general utility as a paint pigment, china clay and 
whiting, silica and barytes are less opaque white pig- 
ments, but are very useful for some purposes in interior 
decorating, 

For interior wall paints, window-shade paints and 
enamel undercoaters, lithopone has first claim to popu- 
larity, because of its very great opacity and moderate 
eost. It is not suitable for exterior paints, however. 
It is quite likely that titanium oxide will find its greatest 
field in the manufacture of interior flat wall paints be- 
cause it is a very opaque pigment. 

Transparent Colors-——These are not really trans- 
parent in the sense that glass is transparent, but they 
are semi-transparent when mixed thin. The glaze colors 
listed in’ Chapter IT, and especially the lake colors and 
aniline colors are the best examples of the transparent 
class, but even the commonly good grades of tinting 
colors for house paints are satisfactorily transparent for 
some jobs of glazing, mottling, blending and Tiffany 
finish. 

For mixing stains, only the transparent colors are 
suitable. The aniline colors, being especially trans- 
parent, are very fine for both staining and glazing. 

The Fading of Colors—Among all the colors used 
some are very permanent, some fairly permanent and 
others are quite fu: itive when placed in strong light or 
subjected to the el ments on exterior surfaces. And it 
should also be remembered that many colors which 
prove quite fugitive and unsatisfactory when used for 


44 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


the wrong purpose are really suitable and satisfactory 
when used for the purpose for which they were matu- 
factured. For instance, the beautiful lake colors made 
for superfine automobile painting and to be protected 
by many coats of varnish, would not give satisfactory 
service if used to tint outside paint. Bright colors 
made with Prussian blue, chrome green and certain 
anilines will not hold their colors long in direct sun- 
light, yet there are no more permanent colors of their 
kind to take their place. If judgment is shown about 
using fugitive colors, placing them out of strong light 
or on interior surfaces, they are completely satisfactory. 

Earth colors such as venetian red, raw and burnt 
umber, raw and burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and some 
few others are, generally speaking, more permanent 
than chemical colors like Prussian blue, chrome green 
and chrome yellow; but, as stated, the latter are suffi- 
cently permanent for the purpose of house decorating, 
and there are no others to take their place. If blues 
and greens are to be used for exterior exposure, mix 
them with earth colors to increase their permanency; 
that will dim their brightness, but when added to white 
or black, pleasing tints and shades are secured. 

Following is a tabulation of colors arranged according 
to their permanence in light: 


NON-FADING 
Raw Sienna Venetian Red 
Burnt Sienna Chromium Oxide Green 
Lamp Black Toluidine Red 
Ivory Drop Black Yellow Ochre 
Carbon Black Tuscan Red 
Black Oxide of Iron Vermilion 
Indian Red Ultranarine Blue 
Raw Umber eon 
Burnt Umber Cobalt Blue 


Vandyke Brown 


PROPERTIES OF COLOR PIGMENTS 45 
FAIRLY PERMANENT 


Chrome Green, Light © Chrome Green, Dark 
Chrome Yellow, Light Chrome Yellow, Orange 
Chrome Green, Medium Cadmium Yellow 
Chrome Yellow, Medium Para Red (aniline) 


FUGITIVE 

Prussian Blue Yellow Lake 
Antwerp Blue Carmine 
Chinese Blue ; Crimson Lake 
Dutch Pink Searlet Lake 
Red Lead Purple Madder 
Aniline Reds Madder Lake 

(except Toluidine) Rose Madder 
Indigo Purple Carmine 
Indian Yellow Violet Carmine 


Chemical Reaction of Some Colors.—Certain .combi- 
nations of colors and pigments result unfavorably 
because they set up chemical reaction which should be 
avoided. The principal ones which a decorator is likely 
to encounter are the use of ultramarine blue, cobalt 
blue, English vermilion and Chinese vermilion, with 
white lead. In the making of ultramarine blue and 
_ cobalt blue, sulphur enters the process and this reacts 
unfavorably upon the white lead, turning it from lead 
carbonate, which is white, to lead sulphide, which is 
black. When you cannot produce the blue tints or 
shades wanted without using ultramarine blue, use oxide 
zine for the white pigment instead of white lead. Prus- 
sian blue, Antwerp blue, and in fact all blues except 
ultramarine and cobalt, may be used satisfactorily with 
white lead. 

Ultramarine and cobalt blues, however, possess the 
valuable trait of being proof against active lime, soda 


46 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


and alkali in new cement and plaster walls. Conse- 
quently, tints and shades made with these blues do 
not fade and spot as do tints and shades made from 
Prussian blue when used on new plaster and cement 
surfaces. 

Until such surfaces have aged, which requires a mat- 
ter of months, their caustic properties are still active, 
and will cause these colors to change to a spotty appear- 
ance and fade out in places. A new surface of this kind 
can be chemically aged by brushing on a solution con- 
sisting of ten or twenty parts zine sulphate to eighty 
or ninety parts water. 

English, French and Chinese vermilions being com- 
pounds of mercury and sulphur should not be mixed 
with white lead, chrome yellow, orange chrome or 
American vermilion. Such vermilions have a tendency 
to turn black when mixed with lead and lead colors. 

Mercury vermilions should not be mixed with copper 
eolors like Emerald green (Paris), verdigris green and 
malachite green if unfavorable chemical reactions are to 
be avoided. American vermilion is a basic chromate 
of lead resulting from the same process, generally 
speaking, as chrome yellow, and it may therefore be 
used where Chinese and English vermilions are not 
advisable. 

Indian red as made today is a chemical color produced 
from iron and steel scales removed by the use of certain 
acid: liquors in the mills. If the acid is not completely 
eliminated, paint made from Indian red for use on iron 
and tin surfaces will cause rusting instead of protecting 
such surfaces, for which purpose the paint is used. Care- 
ful manufacture, however, completely eliminates or 
neutralizes the acid. Venetian red, being manufactured 
in substantially the same way, is likely to possess the 
same characteristics. 

Bleeding Colors—In past years rather large quan- 
tities of aniline red stains have been used for producing 


PROPERTIES OF COLOR PIGMENTS 47 


mahogany finished wood trim in homes and for furni- 
ture finishing in mahogany. Some of these mahogany 
stains were of the para red class of anilines, which have 
exceptional penetrating ability. As long as the finish 
of the wood remained mahogany no difficulty occurred, 
but when the finish is changed to white paint, white 
enamel or light tints in paint or enamel, these para red 
anilines soon penetrate the new finish and turn it to a 
clouded pink color. 

In some of the simpler cases the aniline can be sealed 
up by brushing on a coat or two of shellac. In some 
eases a coat of flat black mixed from coach or ivory 
black ground in Japan and turpentine will stop the 
bleeding. In the most radical cases nothing but a coat 
of aluminum bronze paint has been found effective. The 
enamel or painted finish, of course, is produced on top 
of the. bronze coat. In some eases decorators have 
stripped off the old finish down to the bare wood and 
washed the wood thoroughly with alcohol, and later 
with liquid varnish remover, in order to remove all of 
the original stain possible from the pores of the wood. 
After this stripping-off process the new finish is built 
up on top of a coat or two of shellac. 

Slow-Drying Colors.—In the use of certain color pig- 
ments it is well to keep in mind that some dry more 
slowly than others. For instance, the principal slow- 
drying colors are lampblack, chrome yellow, yellow 
ochre, chrome green, and the oil soluble aniline colors. 

In using slow-drying colors, where only a small quan- 
tity is added to a white paint to make light tints, you 
will experience no difficulty with slow-drying or tacky 
paint, but where these colors constitute a rather large 
proportion of the paint mixture it is wise to increase 
the amount of Japan drier and turpentine in the paint, 
especially for hot, humid or cold wet weather. 

Madder Lake (not alizarine Madder) should not be. 


48 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


mixed with Mars yellow, Mars red, Mars violet or golden 
ochre. This to avoid unfavorable chemical reactions. 

Cadmium yellow ought not to be mixed with any of 
the lead colors, chrome yellow, orange chrome or Ameri- 
can vermilion, or with copper colors hike Emerald green, 
verdigris green or malachite green as unfavorable 
chemical reactions result. 

Zine yellow when exposed to strong light changes to 
a green hue but after such a change it remains a per- 
manent lght green valuable for lemon and greenish 
yellow tints. 

Cerulean blue has a tendency to turn to a greenish 
hue with age. 

Verdigris. green must not be mixed with lake colors. 
It violently attacks them and is quite fugitive in light 
itself. 

Antwerp blue and raw sienna should not be mixed . 
together. The sienna destroys the blue color rather 
rapidly. 


CHAPTER IV 
HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 


The colors made for tinting white paint for outside 
house painting are ground in linseed oil to a thick 
paste. They are put up in one-pound and five-pound 
eans and 1214-pound and 25-pound pails. Larger pack- 
ages can be had for special purposes. 

There are several grades of tinting colors. It will 
pay to buy the best grade, because such colors are 
brighter, clearer and have greater tinting strength. A 
lesser quantity of high grade tinting color is required 
to tint a white paint to a desired color. -Cheaper grades 
of tinting colors not only lack tinting strength, but are 
apt to be cloudy, or muddy. 

There are some variations in names of tinting colors 
since some manufacturers give special names to certain 
grades of standard colors, but the principal colors 
ground in oil for tinting house paints are these: 


TINTING COLORS GROUND IN OIL 


REDS 
Indian Red Searlet Vermilion 
Tuscan Red Unfading Vermilion 
Turkey Red English Vermilion 
Venetian Red Permanent Red 
BLUES 
Chinese Blue Prussian Blue 
Cobalt Blue Ultramarine Blue 


49 


50 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


YELLOWS 
. Light or Canary Chrome Dutch Pink 
Yellow Golden Ochre 


Medium Chrome Yellow Yellow Ochre 
Orange Chrome Yellow French Yellow Ochre 


BLACKS 
Coach Black Lamp Black 
English Blue Black Carbon Black 
Ivory Drop Black Black Iron Oxide 
GREENS 
Light Chrome Green Forest Green, light, me- 
Medium Chrome Green dium and dark 
Bottle Green Emerald Green 
Bronze Green Olive Green 
BROWNS 
Raw Sienna Burnt Umber 
Burnt Sienna Vandyke Brown’ 
Raw Umber Brunswick Brown 


DECORATORS’ OIL COLORS 


For the use of decorators, artists and furniture fin- 
ishers, a finer ground, brighter and clearer toned grade 
of color is ground in oil. They are used for all manner 
of decorating jobs such as on wall and furniture sten- 
ceils, polychrome finishing and painting of pictorial and 
mural subjects on theatre scenes, signs, banners and 
wherever high class oil colors are needed. 

Following are the colors of this class, ground in oil 
and put up in tubes and one-pound press-top cans: 


REDS 
Decorators’ Red Tusean Red 
Indian Red Venetian Red 
Permanent Red American Vermilion 
Rose Pink English Vermilion 


Turkey Red 


HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 


BLUES 
Antwerp Blue Prussian Blue 
Cobalt Blue Ultramarine 
YELLOWS 


Chrome Yellow, Lemon Dutch Pink 

Chrome Yellow, Light Golden Ochre 
Chrome Yellow, Medium Yellow Ochre, French 
Chrome Yellow, Orange 


GREENS 
Chrome Green, Light Sap Green 
Chrome Green, Medium Zinnobar Green 
Chrome Green, Dark Ultramarine Green 

BLACKS 
Ivory Black Lettering Black 
Lamp Black 

BROWNS 
Burnt Sienna Raw Umber 
Raw Sienna Vandyke Brown 
Burnt Umber 

LAKES 
Alizarine Lake Mauve Lake 
Blue Lake Olive Lake 
Carmine Lake Orange Lake 
Crimson Lake — Rose Lake 
Geranium. Lake Searlet Lake 
Green Lake, Light Yellow Lake 
Green Lake, Dark 

WHITE 


Flake White (white lead) Cremnitz White (white 


Zine White (zine oxide) lead) 


51 


52 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


DECORATORS’ GLAZE COLORS 
For high class glazing, mottling, blending, Tiffany 
and other special wall finishes, colors are needed which 
are not alone brilliant and clear, but also quite trans- 
parent. These are called glaze colors. The following 
list of glaze colors is quite complete. They are ground 
in oil and put up in tubes and one-pound cans: 


YELLOW | 
Brown Pink Yellow Lake, Light 
Gamboge Yellow Lake, Deep 
Italian Pink Royal Golden Lake 
Indian Yellow Raw Sienna 
Orange Lake 

GREEN 
Alizarine Green, Light Malachite Green 
Alizarine Green, Deep Sap Green 
Blue-Green Vert Emeraude 
Emerald Green Verdigris 
Green Lake, permanent 

BLUE 
Cobalt Blue Steel Blue 
Chinese Blue Verditer Blue 
Italian Blue ~ Ultramarine Blue 
RED 

Alizarine Crimson Permanent Vermilion, 
Alizarine Lake Light 
Carmine No. 40 Permanent Vermilion, 
Florentine Lake Deep 
French Nakaret Carmine Rose Madder 
Geranium Lake, Bluish Scarlet Lake 


Geranium Lake, Yellowish Vienna Rose Lake 
Permanent Crimson Lake Asphaltum 
Permanent Turkey Red 


HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 53 


PURPLE 
Deep Purple, extra Helotrope 
Royal Purple Magenta 


DECORATORS’ DISTEMPER WATER COLORS 


These are such colors as are used for graining and 
for wall decorating. They are finely ground, clear and 
bright. They were extensively used in past years for 
wall decorations, stencils and other ornamental forms 
in what was called fresco decoration. 

These colors are ground in water and are thinned 
with water, adding glue or other binders. This is 
practically a caleimine proposition, although ordinary 
calcimines were made by the painter with dry whiting, 
cheaper dry colors, glue or casein and water. Dis- 
temper colors come in glass jars. 


BROWNS 
Cologne Brown Raw and Burnt Umber 
Raw and Burnt Sienna Vandyke Brown 
BLACKS 
Ivory Drop Black Lamp Black 
BLUES 
Antwerp Blue Italian Blue 
Azure Blue Paris Blue 
Chinese Blue Prussian Blue 
Cobalt Blue Ultramarine Blue 
. YELLOWS 
Chrome Yellow, light, me- Golden Ochre 
dium and dark Ultramarine Yellow 


Dutch Pink Yellow Ochre 


54 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


GREENS 
Antwerp Green Lime Green 
Chrome Green, light, me- Malachite Green 
dium and dark Moss Green 
Emerald Green Neuwieder Green 
Leaf Green Olive Green 
PURPLES 
Ultramarine Violet ) 
WHITES 
Flake White (white lead) Zine White 
REDS 
American Vermilion, Rose Pink 
light and dark Turkey Red, light and dark 
English Vermilion, Tuscan Red 
light and dark Venetian Red 
Indian Red Ultramarine Rose 
LAKES 
Carmine Maroon Maroon Lake 
French Maroon, Dark Purple Lake 
Geranium Lake Rose Lake 


Green Lake Rose Madder 


ARTISTS” COLORS 


These are similar to decorators’ oil colors and glaze 
_ eolors—identical in most cases. They are put up in 
tubes and are used for all manner of decorative work 
by artists and decorators. 


French Carmine Chinese Vermilion 
Rose Madder~ ~- Crimson Madder 
Searlet Lake Crimson lake 


HUW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 


Muddar Lake 
Geranium Lake 
Maader Carmine 
Alizarine Crimson 
Orange Vermilion 
Searlet Madder 
Searlet Vermilion 
Pink Madder 
Rubens’ Madder 
Carmine No. 2 
American Vermilion 
Madder Lake Deep 
Harrison Red 
English Vermilion 
Rose Carthame 
French Vermilion 
Nopal Red 

Rose Dore 
Chrome Orange 
Light Red 
Venetian Red 
Mars Red 

Terra Rosa 
Indian Red 
Antwerp Blue 
Permanent Blue 
Prussian Blue 
New Blue 
Chinese Blue 
Cerulean Blue 
Indigo 

Cobalt Blue 
Ultramarine 
Ultramarine Ash 
Gray Tint 
Payne’s Gray 


Lamp Black 

Blue Black 

Ivory Black 

sepia 

Asphaltum 

Bitumen 

Burnt Umber 

Raw Sienna 

Mars Brown 

Flesh Ochre 
Caledonian Brown 
Bone Brown 

Brown Ochre 

Brown Pink 

Raw Umber 

Burnt Sienna 
Vandyke Brown 

Mars Orange 

Nopal Orange 

Chrome Yellow, No. 1-L 
Chrome Yellow, No. 2-M 
Chrome Yellow, No. 3-D 
Indian Yellow 

French Naples Yellow 
Naples Yellow, No. 1-L 
Naples Yellow, No. 2-M 
Naples Yellow, No. 3-D 
Lemon Yellow 
Strontian Yellow 
Kings’ Yellow 

Citron Yellow 

Cobalt Yellow, light 
Cobalt Yellow, deep 
Cadmium Lemon 
Cadmium Pale 
Cadmium Yellow 


56 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Cadmium Deep Olive Green 

Cadmium Orange Chrome Green, No. 1-L 
Perfect Yellow Chrome Green, No. 2-M 
Gamboge Chrome Green, No. 3-D 
Aureolin Emerald Green 

Yellow Lake Veronese Green 
Transparent Gold Ochre Emeraude Green 
Italian Pink Malachite Green 

Zine Yellow Oxide of Chromium 
Brilliant Yellow Viridian 

Yellow Ochre Terre Verte 

Permanent Yellow Cobalt Green 

Mars Yellow Permanent Green, light 
Mars Violet Permanent Green, medium 
Cobalt Violet Permanent Green, deep 
Violet Carmine Verdigris Green 

Mauve Zinnober Green, light 
Magenta Zinnober Green, medium 
Purple Lake Zinnober Green, deep 
Purple Madder Sap Green 


Brown Madder 


AUTOMOBILE AND SIGN PAINTERS’ JAPAN COLORS 


Although colors ground in Japan are used by deco- 
rators and furniture finishers to some extent, automo- 
bile, carriage and wagon painters use the bulk of these 
eolors. Sign painters likewise use quite a quantity of 
Japan colors. 

The name might suggest to some that these colors 
are made in the orient, in Japan, but that is not the 
meaning intended. They are colors which are ground 
in a special, quick-drying varnish for a binder and 
painters thin them with a volatile liquid (turpentine 
usually) which, when it evaporates, leaves a dead flat 
surface of color. 


HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 


57 


Colors ground in Japan are needed when tinting white 


enamel or varnishes. 


The colors usually ground in Japan are these: 


REDS 


American Vermilion, Pale Parisian Red 
American Vermilion, Deep Princess Louise Lake 
Carriage Part Lake, Light Runabout Red, Light 


Cherry Red 

Cinnabar Red 
Insignia Red 

Motor Car Red, Light 


Motor Car Red, Medium 


Motor Car Red, Deep 


Runabout Red, Deep 
Saginaw Red, Light 
Saginaw Red, Medium 
Saginaw Red, Deep 
Tuscan Red 

Tuseania Red 


WINES AND MAROONS 


Rich Maroon 


Deep Wine 


GREENS 


Alpine Green 
Apple Green, Deep 
Brewster Green, Light 


Brewster Green, Medium 


Brewster Green, Deep 


Car Body Green, Double 


Light 
C. P. Green, Light 
C. P. Green, Medium 


C. P. Green, Double Deep 
BLUES 


Alsace Blue 
Annapolis. Blue 
Azure Blue, Light 
Blue Devil Blue 


Emerald Green, Light 
Liberty Green 

Milori Green, Light 
Milori Green, Deep — 
Napier Green, Light 
Olive Green, Medium 
Phaeton Green 
Roumanian Green 


Sage Brush Green, Light 


Car Body Blue, Light 
Coach Blue, Light 
Coach Blue, Deep 
Coventry Blue 


They are thinned to brushing 
consistency with turpentine. 


58 THE MIXING OF COLORS, AND PAINTS 


English Violet 
Holland Blue 
Insignia Blue 
Packard Violet 
Peacock Blue 
Prussian Blue 
Rolls-Royce Blue 


Suburban Blue, Light 
Suburban Blue, Medium 
Town Car Blue, Light 
Town Car Blue, Medium 
Town Car Blue, Deep 
Ultramarine Blue 
Violet Purple 


BROWNS 


Antwerp Brown 
Beaver Brown 
Biege Brown, Light 
Biege Brown, Deep 
Brussels Brown 
French Brown 
Golden Brown 
Khaki Brown 
Moleskin, Light 


Moleskin, Deep 
Mojave Brown 
Olive Brown 
Onondaga Brown 
Packard Brown 
Sienna, Raw 
Sienna, Burnt 
Umber, Raw 
Umber, Burnt 


- YELLOWS 


Cream Color, Light 
Chrome Yellow, Light 
Chrome Yellow, Medium 
French Ivory 

Italian Cream 

Lemon Yellow, Pale 
Old Ivory 


Orange, Light 

Orange, Medium 

Orange, Double Deep 

Permanent Yellow, Me- 
dium 

Straw Color 


BLACKS 


C. P. Lamp Black 
Coach Painter’s Black 
Drop Black 


English Coach Black 
English Drop Black 
Ivory Jet Black 


WHITES 
Flake White (white lead) Zine White in Demar 


‘HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 59 


GRAYS 
Artillery Gray French Gray, Medium 
Battleship Gray French Gray, Double Deep 
Dustproof Gray, Deep Gun Metal Gray, Light 
Fawn Gray Gun Metal Gray, Deep 


French Gray, Light 


GROUND COLORS 


Azure Blue Rich Red 

Light Blue Medium Vermilion 
Light Red Deep Vermilion 
Deep Red Deep Maroon 


DRY TINTING COLORS 


Painters and decorators use dry colors for putty, 
ealeimine, special wall finishes, stains and other pur- 
poses. The above colors listed as ground in oil are 
practically all sold in dry form. 

Following is a list of the dry colors and other dry 
pigments sold by painters’ supply houses: . 


BLACK 
Graphite 
English Powdered Drop Black - 
American Powdered Drop Black 
Swedish Black 
1-ib and 25-ib packages and barrels 


LAMP BLACK 


Coach Painters’, in 1-Ib papers 
Germantown, in i-ib papers 
Germantown, in 14-tb papers 
Germantown, in 14-ib papers 

1-ib and 40-tb packages and barrels 


60 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


GREENS 


Union Chrome, medium or dark 
No. 3 Chrome, medium or dark 
Paris 

Bottle Green | 

Bronze Green 

Olive Green 

1-ib., 25-ib. and 100-ib. packages 


VENETIAN REDS 
York Venetian Red 
Craydon English Venetian Red 
Regent. English Venetian Red 
1-ib. and 100-Ib. packages 


REDS 
Red Lead in 25-Ib. kegs 
Indian Red, Super 
Oxide of Red 
Permanent. Red 
English Rose Pink 
English Rose Lake 
Turkey Red, Light, No. 2 
Turkey Red, Deep, No. 3 
English Vermilion, in 30-Ib. bags, Light and Dark 
Acricultural Vermilion 
American Vermilion 
Tusean Red 
Litharge 
1-ib. and 25ib. packages 


LAKES, ETC. 
Carmine, No. 40 
Geranium, AA 
Vienna 
No. 16 Lake ; 
l-ounce and pound packages 


HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED TOR THE TRADE 


MINERAL PAINTS 
French Gray 
Zine White Mineral 
Metalic Brown, Prince’s Shade 
Dark Red Iron Paint 
Prinee’s Metallic Brown 
Red Iron Primer 
Red Oxide 
1-ib., 100-ib. and barrel packages 


YELLOWS 


C. P. Chrome Yellow, Light, Medium or Dark 
Genuine Chrome, Light, Medium or Dark 
Dutch Pink 

1-ib., 25-fb. and 100-fb. packages 


YELLOW OCHRES 


Chrome Ochre, Light or Dark 

Imported Golden Ochre 

Imported French Ochre 

Rochelle Ochre 

1-ib., 25-ib. and 100-Ib. packages and barrels 


BROWNS 
- Vandyke Brown 

Raw or Burnt Turkey Umber 
Raw or Burnt American Umber 
Raw or Burnt Italian Sienna 
Raw or Burnt American Sienna 
Bismarek Brown (red) 

1-ib. and 25-ib. packages 


WHITES 


Flake White (white lead) 
Extra Gilders’ Whiting, lump or bolted 
Zine, French Green Filler 


61 


62 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


White Primer 

Silica 

Dental Plaster Paris 

Pure White Lead 

1-ib., 25-Ib. and 100-fb. packages and barrels 
BLUES 


Celestial Blue 

Cobalt. Blue 

S. P. Prussian Blue 
Soluble Blue 

Ultramarine Blue, H. B. 
1-ib. and 25-tb. packages 


WOOD-FILLERS 


Silver White Filler 
Orange Mineral 

Pure Silex (silica) 

1-ib. and 100-ib. packages 


BRONZE POWDER COLORS 


The less expensive decorators’ bronze powders come 
in grades designated as Pale or Rich Gold; Fine Pale 
or Rich Gold; Extra Fine Pale or Rich Gold; Superfine 
Pale or Rich Gold. 

Then there is a grade of bronze powders which are 
more brilliant and finer in texture described as: Roman 
Gold; Koh-i-Noor Pale and Rich Gold; Hochglands Pale 
Gold; French Gold Leaf; Karet Gold Leaf, XX Deep; 
Vernis Martin. . 

Another grade, called colored metallics, is made for 
decorative artists, sign painters, window shades, wall 
paper, button and artificial flower manufacturers. The 
colors in this line are: Gold, Copper, Red, Dark Green, 
Light Blue, Crimson, Purple, Orange. 

There is a grade known as Patent Bronzes which in- 


HOW COLORS ARE PREPARED FOR THE TRADE 63 


eludes such colors as: Lemon, Fire, Crimson, Orange, 
Blue. 

For less expensive decorative work a grade called spe- 
cialty Bronze Powders includes such items as: Radiator 
Gold; Statuary Bronze; Handmade Lining and Strip- 
ing; Aluminum A; Chemically Pure Aluminum; Alumi- 
num Striping; Natural Copper. 


COLOR VARNISH 


These are rubbing varnishes made for the automobile, 
carriage and wagon painters. They contain very little 
color. Painters often make their own color varnish by 
adding a few ounces of color to a gallon of rubbing 
varnish. The color is thinned a little with turpentine 
and strained, then it is thoroughly mixed into the var- 
nish and the whole mixture is again strained. 


COLOR LACQUERS 


These are quick drying varnishes bought in ready 
prepared form or mixed by decorators by adding bronze 
powder or other colors to clear wood lacquer. 

Some of the poor grades of yellow ochre retard the 
drying of a paint film. They are inclined to retain 
moisture, and that characteristic promotes the growth 
of mildew in certain climates. The popularity of yellow 
ochre twenty-five or thirty years ago was eclipsed by 
the use of cheap grades of yellow ochres, because they 
contained moisture and did not anchor firmly in the 
pores of the wood. Much cracking and scaling of paints 
resulted. The use of real French ochre did not result 
in this condition, but the cost of this high-grade color 
was greater than the cheap ochres, and so it was not 
extensively used. 

Raw umber has a rather large content of manganese, 
which makes it an excellent drying color; in fact, raw 


64 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


umber is used sometimes in the manufacture of liquid 
driers. 

Lampblacks are made in so many different ways that 
it is difficult to determine upon examination just what 
quality a package contains. In the burning of oils or 
other substances to make lampblack, the introduction of 
too much air produces grayish blacks, and too little air 
results in a content of oil or volatile acid. When the 
burning process is forced too much, the resulting prod- 
uct is not only an inferior black, but one which contains 
both oil and acid in sufficient quantities to cause spon- 
taneous combustion. This is a dangerous dry pigment 
to handle; it is slow-drying and likely to corrode metal 
surfaces because of the acid content. In other words, 
black paint made from such lampblack is apt to destroy 
metal surfaces which it is supposed to protect. 

Gas and carbon blacks, which are sometimes added to 
good lampblack to increase tinting strength, are detri- 
mental, not alone because they change jet blacks to 
brownish tones, but because they result in a separation 
_of the pigment and the oil. Uneven, streaky black paint 
and muddy gray tints are also caused by these inferior 
gas and carbon blacks. 


CHAPTER V 
BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS 


The term ‘‘paint’’ is broad in its meaning, and many 
mixtures for many purposes are called paint. The 
materials which are suitable for use by decorators and 
house painters as pigment bases for paints are limited 
to a comparatively small group, because such paints 
must possess good working qualities, opacity, perma- 
nency of colors, and general durability, as a rule. 

What Is Paint?—Briefly, it is a mixture of basic 
white or colored pigments and tinting colors with oil, 
varnish, glue or casein binders, volatile solvent spirits 
and driers. 

The purpose served by the basic white or colored 
pigments is that of covering, hiding and protecting a 
surface from decay, rust or abrasion caused by the 
elements—sun, rain, frost, snow, sleet and cold. By 
excluding moisture, paint performs its most valuable 
service on exterior surfaces. On interior surfaces paints 
are not needed as protection, but to give uniform color, 
texture and decorative value. 

The purpose served by tinting colors is principally 
that of decoration, although in white paints made with 
pure white lead alone, colors have a tendency to harden 
the paint film and retard or prevent excessive chalking 
of the paint. 

The purpose served by the binders is that of cement- 
ing the pigment and color particles together and to the 
surface. In outside house paints the binder is linseed 

65 


66 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


oil; in interior paints and semi-enamels the binder may 
be linseed oil, varnish, glue or casein. 

The purpose served by the volatile spirits such as 
turpentine, benzine or mineral spirits in paints is that 
of assisting the paint to penetrate into the pores of the 
surface more deeply and also to make the paint brush 
out more freely, especially in cold weather. These are 
solvents of oils, varnishes and resins. 

Benzol, alcohol, amyl acetate and methyl alcohol are 
solvent spirits used principally in the varnishes, lacquers, 
enamels and specialty products used by painters, deco- 
rators and factory finishers on furniture, metal and all 
manner of manufactured products which are decorated 
or coated to gain protection. 

All of these liquids evaporate more or less completely 
on exposure to the air. 

The purpose served by driers in paints and oils is 
that of increasing the speed of drying and to produce a 
harder surface. The saving of time, permitting one 
eoat to be placed on top of another within a reasonable 
time, and to cause the paint to dry before dust and 
clouds of insects accumulate on the wet surface, disfigur- 
ing it, are the principal purposes served by driers. 

For years without number, painters have made out- 
side paints from a mixture of white lead, linseed oil, 
turpentine and Japan drier for white paint; and for 
colored paints the same mixture plus tinting colors have 
been used. : F 

For the last quarter century or so there has been 
much research and experimenting done to prove that a 
combination of pigments is better than white lead alone. 
From this has resulted the extensive manufacture of 
prepared house paints called ready mixed paints. The 
higher class prepared paints of today are rendering 
good service, and there are many technically minded 
men who believe that a combination of basic paint pig- 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS 67 


ments' is better than any single pigment, their idea being 
that the strength and weakness of each of the principal 
pigments differ, and that by combining two or more of 
these pigments in suitable proportions, the virtues of all 
are gained and the weaknesses of all are overcome. 

Most paints are made with a white pigment base as 
the major item, although very dark colors—the blacks, 
dark greens, browns and reds—are mixed without white 
pigments and from a color pigment alone, or from a 
mixture of two or more color pigments. Some of these 
dark colored paints are among the most durable paints 
known. For example, the great popularity of the red 
barn on American farms, box cars and railroad cars, 
was the result of the fact that real venetian red and 
good linseed oil made about as serviceable and econom- 
ical paint as was known. Today the non-fading quality 
of venetian red is not always present, because some of 
these dark reds are not earth pigments like the original 
venetian reds, nor well made chemical venetian reds, 
but, rather, are made by coloring white inert pigments 
with aniline colors to match venetian reds. No decep- 
tion is intended, usually, and the manufactured reds are 
marketed under private brand names for what they are. 

The black and the brown earth pigments also make 
very durable paints. 

Before instruction in mixing of colors and paints can 
be given, a brief description of the basic paint pigments 
is essential. There is much of interest to be written 
about each of the principal pigments, but to go into the 
technical qualities and manufacture of each pigment 
would in itself constitute an extensive book. So only the 
outstanding characteristics of each paint pigment is 
proper in this work. 

White Lead.—First mention is given this venerable 
white pigment because it has been the backbone of the 
paint industry for over two hundred years. Its good 


68 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


qualities are legion, and when it comes to mixing white 
paint for exterior surfaces it has no real competitor in 
its combination of essential qualities. 

White lead is made by several manufacturers and by 
two principal processes—one, the Old Dutch process; 
the other, the Carter process. The former makes lead in 
from ninety to one hundred days; the latter makes it in 
about twelve days. There is little choice as between the 
products of both processes as to serviceable qualities. 
In the matter of whiteness the Carter process will, on 
an average, produce whiter lead. In the matter of tex- 
ture, fineness, opacity (hiding power) and uniform 
composition there is little choice. 

White lead is the most opaque white pigment known 
to chemistry for exterior painting. All high-grade white 
and light-colored paints for exterior use contain a large 
amount of white lead—from 60 to 80 per cent, to be 
more specific. 

While white lead possesses most of the desirable quali- 
ties of good paint, it has one weakness; namely, it makes 
a paint that is a little too soft, one which chalks or dusts 
off the surface after a couple of years when white paint 
is used. This peculiarity can, however, be easily over- 
come by the addition of from 10 to 15 per cent of zine 
oxide to the paint to make a little harder film. In some 
localities, notably along the sea cost, the tendency of 
white lead paint to chalk is greater, and the addition 
of from 20 to 25 per cent of zine oxide is made by some 
painters. 

Zine should never be used in the priming, or under 
coats ;—use it only in the last coat. If too much zine 
is used and if it is put in to the priming coat there is 
some likelihood that the paint will crack and scale off, 
because the film becomes too hard and brittle to expand 
and contract with the surface during temperature 
changes. 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS 69 


The use of a moderate amount of tinting colors with 
white lead paint to mix tints and shades retards the 
chalking. 

The ideal in paint mixing is to make a film which will 
be hard enough to avoid chalking and soft or elastic 
enough to avoid cracking and scaling. It is better, of 
course, to have a paint chalk than to have it erack and 
scale, because a chalking surface is ready to be repainted 
any time, while a cracked and scaled paint must be 
burned and scraped off and that proves rather expensive. 

White lead is a natural drying pigment. It combines 
readily with linseed oil and has the desirable brushing 
and sanding qualities looked for by decorators and 
painters. 

White lead can be secured in dry powder form, but 
it is more commonly used as a thick paste which is com- 
posed of 92 per cent white lead and 8 per cent linseed oil. 

Sublimed white lead, which is a basic lead sulphate, is 
accepted in government specifications as equal to basic 
carbonate white lead. 

White lead is manufactured from three principal 
elements—lead metal, acetic acid (vinegar) and carbonic 
acid gas. No, matter what process is used, the same raw 
materials enter into the manufacture of white lead. In 
other words, pure white lead is the result of the action 
of acetic acid and carbonic acid gas on lead metal. The 
lead metal is corroded into a white powder by the action 
of acetic acid and carbonic acid gas, and the fine white 
powder is then ground with pure linseed oil to a thick 
paste and is ready for the painter. 

One of the interesting and useful peculiarities about 
white lead is that the pure pigment as it is marketed 
ean be reduced or returned to the metallic form by fire. 
A piece of white lead paste as large as a nickel will 
reduce to a bit of lead metal about as large as an ordi- 
nary pea when placed on a charcoal block and subjected 


70 THE ‘MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


to the heat from a blow torch. The test is infallible. 
If the lead has been adulterated to any appreciable 
extent it will not reduce the lead metal. 

You can cut a splinter about the size of a match from 
a house painted with pure white lead twenty years ago, 
hold a match under it, blow it gently to increase the 
heat, and you will notice little beads of bright lead 
metal forming. In the same manner a little white lead 
paste from a keg put on the head of one match and 
burned with another match will reduce to beads of 
metallic lead. 

Coach and Car Lead.—This is a white lead manufac- 
tured for many years and used by carriage and wagon 
painters. It is very fine and is ground in refined, 
bleached linseed oil. It dries hard and sandpapers with- 
out gumming. It possesses the characteristics in general 
with pure white lead. 

Flake White—This pigment is a pure carbonate of 
lead (white lead) made for artists, decorators and fae. 
tory furniture finishers. The dry white lead is sifted 
to secure the very finest texture. The lead is ground 
and reground with refined, bleached linseed oil, which 
makes it dry hard and rapidly and to sandpaper without 
summing. Flake white is marketed in the dry form and 
ground in oil. 

Flake white is sometimes called Cremnitz white, blane 
d’argent and silver white. 

Zinc Oxide.—Zine oxide is used extensively by paint- 
ers and decorators and has most commendable charac- 
teristics. It is probably the finest in texture of all white 
pigments, and the whitest. 

Zine is used to a very great exten in the making of 
white enamels and the manufacture of enamel under- 
coats. Zinc, being very fine, is great in bulk—it occupies 
about 50.77 cubic inches to the pound, while a pound of 
white lead in the same condition occupies 14.69 cubic 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS cet 


inches. The extreme fineness of zine causes it to require 
more oil in mixing a paint ready for the brush than is 
needed by any-other white pigment. 

The mixture of colors and other pigments with zine 
oxide does not affect the latter in the matter of chemical 
reaction, and gases present in the atmosphere do not 
affect it. 

The weakness of zine comes from the fact that, when 
used alone as the base for exterior paint, it makes a 
film which is too hard and brittle and which may crack 
and seale off in consequence of the expansion and con- 
traction of the surface during temperature changes. This 
brittleness is overcome by the addition of white lead or 
other pigments to zine. 

Oxide of zinc is manufactured by two processes— 
one called the American process and the other the French 
process. Briefly, oxide of zine is made from zine metal 
which has been burned in a furnace, and it is the 
product of combustion. In the burning process the zine 
metal is vaporized and drawn off to collecting chambers 
where it is deposited in the form of a very fine white 
powder. 

Zine is one of the most valuable pigments among 
decorators’ and painters’ materials, and while it is not 
as opaque as white lead, lithopone and titanium oxide, 
nevertheless it has its peculiar advantages. It is used 
successfully with colors which cause unfavorable chem- 
ical reactions on white lead and other pigments. 

As a rule colors mixed with zine oxide for a white 
base will be clearer and brighter than when mixed 
with other white pigments. 

Titanium Oxide—This is a new white pigment for 
exterior and interior painting in which considerable 
interest has been shown of late. It is produced from an 
ore which is rather widely distributed throughout the 
world. 


72 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


The claims made for titanium oxide are that it has 
greater opacity, or hiding power, than any other white 
pigment when mixed with linseed oil, and that, while it 
will chalk when used alone as the pigment for an ex- 
terior paint, excellent results come from combining it 
with zine oxide. The proportion recommended is about 
20 percent zine oxide to 80 per cent titanium oxide. 
This new pigment has been tested for several years, and 
when repainting is necessary, the surface has been found 
to be in excellent condition. The paint is not affected by 
oases and does not darken on exposure. 

The bulk of titanium oxide is used by paint manu- 
facturers in combination with other pigments to make 
up prepared materials. Paste paints for use on exterior 
work and also white enamels made from titaninum oxide 
are now available on the market. 

Iithopone.—This is a very white and very opaque 
paint pigment which is a compound of barium sulphate 
(blank fixe) and zine sulphide. The very dense white 
and hiding power of this pigment makes it valuable as 
the base for most of the flat wall paints which are used 
extensively. It is also used in manufacturing processes 
for painting purposes ;—the painting of window shades 
is a notable example of the use of lithopone. 

Lithopone in ordinary grades turns gray when exposed 
to sunlight, but recovers whiteness when. placed in the 
dark. In the higher classes of lithopone the material 
retains its whiteness when exposed: to light. 

Whiting.—This is calcium carbonate and appears on 
the market as a bolted whiting for ordinary purposes 
such as making putty and as Cliff Stone and Pais white 
and gilders’ whiting in finer grades. _ 

Whiting is a fine white powder, the product of lime- 
stone which has been crushed and graded by floating off 
the fine chalk in water. The fine chalk pigment, after 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS 73 


being separated from the coarse rock, is dried and then 
is ready for the decorator and painter. 

Whiting is the principal base for calcimine. Plaster 
of Paris, which is sulphate of lime, is a kindred product 
and is used by decorators in filling cracks in plaster 
walls. 

Silica (Silex) .—This is a product obtained from erush- 
‘ing rock erystals, quartz, sand and flint into a fine 
powder form. 

The principal characteristics of silica are its great 
hardness and the fact that it is inert, having no chemical 
reactions on any other pigments, colors or oils with 
which it is mixed. In the dry powder form it is rather 
white, but on being mixed with an oil it changes to a 
vellow sand color. As the particles themselves are color- 
less, they take on the color of the oil with which they 
are mixed. The use of silica by the painter and deco- 
rator is largely in the form of paste wood fillers. Small 
quantities are used in undercoats of wall paints to give 
them a ‘‘tooth’’ which will make the second coat of 
paint hide the surface better, because more pigment ean 
then be retained on the surface without running, sag- 
oine and wrinkling. Manufacturers use silica in the 
making of prepared paints because of. this same 
characteristic. 

Barytes—This is a white pigment which is found as 
-a natural product the world over and usually with lead 
and zine metal ores. It is prepared for the paint trade 
by grinding and the separation of the impurities by an 
acid bath and water washing. 

Barytes is a stable product chemically and does not 
set up chemical reaction with any of the materials with 
wich it is mixed. This character of being inert has 
made it the most popular base upon which chemical 
colors are made. Barytes is practically colorless, so 


74 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


takes on the color of whatever substance it is mixed 
with. It can be used to dilute strong colors without 
modifying their tone. 

Barytes is not used by the painter as such, but has 
long been used by manufacturers, both in color making 
and paint making, and authorities claim that it aetna 
increases the durability of paints. 

Asbestine.—This is a product of asbestos which does 
not come to the painter as such, but is used in the 
manufacture of prepared paint because it is very hght 
and fluffy. Its particles are rather long and narrow 
fibres, rather than round, and it is used as sort of a 
reinforcement in paints just as hair is used in plaster. 
Its other prime purpose is to help hold the paint pig- 
ments in suspension in the liquids. Some paints have a 
tendency, when sealed up in cans and allowed to stand 
on the dealers’ shelves for a long time, to settle to the 
bottom of the can. The asbestine, as stated, has a 
tendency to keep the paint pigment in solution. 

Red Lead.—This is a brilliant red pigment made by 
melting lead metal in a saucer-shaped kettle. When the 
lead is held in a metal solution for a certain time it 
takes up oxygen from the air and forms first a light 
yellow powder pigment which is litharge. More time 
and heat change the litharge to a brilliant red which is 
red lead. If the heat is maintained and the red lead 
subjected further to oxygen from the air it changes to 
a very brilhant red called orange mineral. Orange 
mineral is more commonly made by roasting white lead. 

Litharge and all of the lead oxides of this class are 
excellent driers and are used in making Japan drier. 

Red lead is used by the painter principally as the first 
coat when painting metal surfaces, for which it has 
ereat virtue. Red lead comes to the painter in dry form 
and also in the form of thick paste which is ground in 
linseed oil. 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS (G5) 


The brilliant color of red lead fades and gradually 
becomes lighter. As a color it has little value, but the 
fading of the color does not impair the durability of 
the paint or its ability to protect a surface. 

Graphite.—The other names for this paint are black 
lead and plumbago, and its principal use is as a sno 
for metal surfaces. 

Graphite is a carbon which is mined from the earth 
like lead and zine ores. Graphites are decomposed stone 
which may contain as much as 90 per cent iron. The 
process of making this mined product ready for the 
market consists of mining, cleaning to separate the 
impurities, and grading of the soft, dry pigment which 
is secured in that manner. 

Graphite has a great many uses in addition to its 
value as a metal paint. It is used for making lead 
pencils and as a lubricant for machinery. For the latter 
purpose the graphite is mixed with grease. 

Graphite varies in its black color and has a metallic 
sheen, but is always very dark, which limits its use as 
a paint. Asa protection for a surface it is very durable. 
In mixing paint from graphite a little silica is added 
along with linseed oil, and then you have a paint that 
is extensively used for the painting of machinery, metal 
roofs, structural iron bridges, and many other metal 
surfaces. 

Bronze Metal Powders.—These pigments were de- 
scribed in Chapters II and IV, with a special reference 
to the color phase. In addition, it may be of interest to 
add here that the bronze pigments are made by beating 
up and grinding such metals as copper, brass, zine and 
aluminum. In reducing them to pigment form it is 
simply a physical change from metal bars, or ingots, to 
thin metal sheets which are ground to fine powder form. 
These pigments are simply powdered metals. 

The many grades of bronze metal powder range from 


76 THH MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Number 1000, which is a bit coarse for making paints 
such as are used on radiators and machinery, to 6000: 
which is a fine grade suitable for. decorative purposes. 
Number 10,000 is the finest grade made. 

The brilliancy of bronze metal pigments becomes dull 
when exposed to free circulation of air for any length 
of time. The brilliancy of the metal can be retained, 
however, by coating the surface with a thin varnish or 
lacquer. 

For exterior work, aluminum bronze when varnished 
holds its brilliance well, but for gold finishes on the 
outside, real gold leaf is used instead of bronze gold 
powder. 

The bronze powders come in many brilliant colors as 
described in Chapter IV. They are prepared in dry 
powder form and are put up in one-ounce paper packages 
and in tin cans.. See Chapter VI for bronzing liquids. 

Painter-Made Ready-Mixed Paints ——At some time or 
other most painters and decorators wonder why they 
eannot make their own ready-mixed or prepared paints 
and save some money. They learn that formulas for 
these materials contain such inert pigments as silica, 
barytes, whiting, asbestine or magnesium silicate; they 
note that prices on inert pigments are much less than 
for white lead and zine, and wonder why they cannot 
make cheaper paints than they can buy from manu- 
facturers. 

This is a logical line of thought, but the whole story 
of what such attempts involve is not at all apparent on 
the surface. In the first place, manufacturing of paints 
deeply involves chemistry; not chemistry in theory as 
most of us learned it at school, but manufacturing chem- 
istry in all its ramifications. The combination of cer- 
tain pigments, colors, oils and spirits thinners in theory 
may look easy enough on paper, but the question of 
securing an adequate supply of raw materials of suit-. 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS <0 


able quality at the right prices enters. The purchase 
of ecarload quantities and large investments are often 
involved. 

Next, the whole problem of adequate and correct ma- 
ehinery and equipment comes up. Then, it is not at all 
difficult to see how a.considerable investment is essential. 
And if a satisfactory solution of these two considera- 
tions were found by the painter, he would then be only 
making a beginning on the making of high-class pre- 
pared paints. 

The knowledge of how to do it is probably the most 
important angle. A great many men with professional 
chemistry training have tried to make good paints, and 
a considerable proportion have failed. It is not an easy 
undertaking to master. The making of high-class ready- 
made paints is a manufacturing undertaking of major 
importance, not a simple side line which can be taken 
on by craftsmen without experience and training in this 
field. An intimate knowledge of the characteristics, the 
chemistry and sources of supply of basic materials, as 
well as manufacturing facilities, are essential. 

The following brief outline of the composition of 
high-class prepared paint will indicate the magnitude of 
this undertaking: 

You can make high-class paint from white lead alone 
as the basic material by simply adding colors and thin- 
ners. You can do likewise with zine oxide. The weak- 
ness of white lead used alone as paint is commonly 
stated as that of chalking. After two or three years of 
service white lead paint begins to powder or dust off of 
the surface. In other words, it wears out in that man- 
ner. It does, however, leave a surface in perfect condi- 
tion for repainting. 

Zine oxide used alone as a paint pigment has the fault 
of being too hard and inelastic to accommodate itself 
to the expansion and contraction of surfaces during 


78 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


temperature changes. It wears out by cracking and 
scaling. Then the old paint must be burned and scraped 
off before the surface is safe to repaint. 

By mixing together these two basic paint pigments in 
about the proportion of 15 per cent of zine to 85 per 
cent of white lead. you overcome the defects of each 
pigment and gain the virtues of both, according to the 
reasoning of many men in the paint industry. 

The ready-mixed paint manufacturers base their for- 
mulas upon the theory that the addition of certain inert 
pigments reinforces a paint made with white lead and 
zine and makes even a better paint. It is their thought 
that a judicious mixture of paint pigments makes a 
more stable chemical compound and durable paint than 
the use of any single pigment can provide. 

There are many who agree that the mixture of lead 
and zine in the proportion of about 60 per cent lead to 
40 per cent of zinc, plus a small percentage of inert 
pigments, makes the best prepared paints for average 
surfaces. The white lead may be all carbonate of lead, 
or part sublimed lead. 

The inert pigments, it is thought, should be made up 
in these proportions: 

Five per cent asbestine (magnesium silicate) ; used to 
keep the total pigment in suspension in the liquid. 
Asbestine particles are elongated in shape, not round. 
The theory is that because of their shape they bind the 
paint pigments together like hair,in plaster. 

Two and one-half per cent of inerts. It is thought 
that this should consist of calcium carbonate (whiting) 
used to offset acidity in linseed oil which may eye 
when paint is sealed up in a can. 

Two and one-half per cent of water-floated silica 
(silex) is used by some on the theory that it gives 
‘‘tooth’’? to paint, helping the first coat to anchor itself 
in the wood pores and the second coat to lodge itself on 


BASIC PAINT PIGMENTS 79 


the first coat, retaining enough pigment. to hide the 
surface and avoid running, which occurs when an excess 
of pigment is put on to the surface. 

A standard formula for high-class prepared paint, 
then, might be stated as follows: White lead, 55 per 
eent of total pigment; zine oxide, 35 per cent of the 
total pigment; inert pigments, such as asbestine, caleium 
earbonate and silica, as 10 per cent of the total pigment. 
The balance of the paint mixture to be made up of pure 
linseed oil, turpentine or high-class mineral spirits and 
drier plus color pigments. 


CHAPTER VI 
PAINT OILS 


Leading up to the mixing of colors and paints, we 
have described the various colors and the principal basic 
paint pigments. Before we are ready to begin the 
mixing operations, it is essential that a study be made 
of the liquids which are a part of the paints. 

There are quite a number of drying oils known to 
chemistry and the manufacturing field. 

The outstanding oil which has greatest utility and 
value is linseed oil, which comes to the painter and 
decorator in several forms, such as raw, boiled, refined, 
bleached and what are called special oils. The other 
drying oils in common use are poppy-seed oil, China 
wood oil (tung oil), nut oil, parella oil, lumbang oil, 
sunflower-seed oil, and a fish oil under the name of men- 
haden. There are other oils now going the rounds of 
chemical laboratories, but their commercial values have 
not been established. 

Painters and decorators need concern themselves with 
none of these oils except linseed, poppy-seed and, pos- 
sibly, China wood (tung) oil. Linseed oil is used almost 
exclusively for exterior paints and, in small quantities, 
as the binder for interior paints. When used in white 
paints for interior decorating, linseed oil is likely to 
turn yellow, but will bleach out white again when sub- 
jected to strong light. Poppy-seed oil and nut oil are 
used with artists’ colors for pictorial painting and for 
some other special paints where the quality of extreme 
whiteness is valuable. China wood oil is used chiefly in 

80 


PAINT OILS 81 


the manufacture of certain kinds of varnish and flat 
wall paints for interior use. The balance of the drying 
oils are used for special purposes by manufacturers in 
the making of paints which require peculiar quality; 
for instance, fish oil will withstand a great deal of heat, 
when mixed with a paint, without causing the paint to 
blister. Fish oil, therefore, is valuable for use in paint 
to be used on engines, smokestacks and radiators, which 
are subjected to high temperatures. 

There are some other oils classed as semi-drying oils 
which painters and decorators hear about, but which are 
of no use to them in their natural state. These oils are 
corn oil, cottonseed oil and soya-bean oil; all are classed 
as vegetable oils. They are used by manufacturers to 
some extent for admixture with linseed oil and driers 
in the grinding of paste paints and colors. 

The use of a drying oil in paint mixing serves several 
purposes. In the first place it takes dry color and basic 
paint pigments and changes them to the liquid state; 
- then an oil makes it possible to spread the pigments to 
a uniform depth over the entire surface; the oil binds 
the pigment particles together and to the surface; and 
lastly the oil gives the paint pigment a gloss finish when 
linseed oil is used and a flat, or semi-gloss, finish when 
China wood oil is used. 

Iinseed Oil.—This is the most extensively used paint 
oil, not only because of its valuable characteristics, but 
because it is obtainable in abundant quantities at mod- 
erate prices wherever flax is grown. The abundance of 
linseed oi] naturally keeps the cost down to a moderate 
figure. It is generally understood the world over, and 
consequently uniformly good results are secured from 
its use. Linseed oil is, of course, used extensively in 
the making of soap, linoleum, and in many manufactur- 
ing processes where all manner of merchandise is made. 

It is interesting to note that linseed oil and most of 


82 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


the drying oils become dry from the outer surface in- 
ward. They absorb oxygen from the air. In the ease of 
linseed oil, the oil film actually weighs more after it 
becomes dry than when it was wet on the surface. 

China wood (tung) oil is an exception in its manner of 
drying, since it appears to set or harden simultaneously, 
like cement. 

It is well for painters and decorators to avoid the 
use of any of the drying oils except linseed oil, and 
possibly poppy-seed and China wood oil in ease of artists 
and decorators, unless they are technically minded and 
will conduct such experiments as will teach them the 
properties and actions of the other oils for- special 
purposes. 

The manufacture of pure raw linseed oil is accom- 
plished by crushing flaxseed, known to some as linseed, 
between large steel rollers in mills constructed especially 
for the purpose. The oil is squeezed from the seed, 
allowed to settle and age in order to remove the mucilag- 
inous matter which settles to the bottom of the tanks. 
The longer the oil is aged, the better; but in the modern 
process of manufacture most of the mucilaginous matter, 
ealled foots, is removed by filtering the oil while it is hot. 

Raw linseed oil is, as its name implies, a rather crude 
raw product, and when used in paints must have a 
drier added to it, usually, to make the paint dry rapidly 
enough during cool and damp weather. As a matter of 
fact, on outside painting it is customary to add drier to 
raw linseed oil in any weather, although during hot, dry 
seasons the oil will dry without the use of Japan drier. 
There is always some risk that the paint will dry too 
slowly without driers to avoid the accumulations of dust, 
small flies or gnats in swarms. . 

Boiled linseed oil is much to be preferred to raw oil 
when you can secure one of the brands made by a 
reputable manufacturer. The average manufacturer 


PAINT OILS 83 


considers raw linseed oil simply as a commercial product, 
a commodity, which must be made within certain stand- 
ards of purity, to be sure; but boiled linseed oil is made 
with pride and especial care to give maximum results 
in drying and brushing qualities as well as in the matter 
of durability. , 

A great many painters have steadfastly bought pure 
raw linseed oil because it offers less opportunity for 
unscrupulous manufacturers to cover up adulteration ; 
it is more difficult to detect the addition of dope oils to 
the boiled linseed oil. However, it is a better buying 
policy to secure high-class boiled linseed oil from a 
manufacturer of good reputation who makes advertised 
brands. Such an oil is an institution with the manu- 
facturer and he takes pride in setting up and main- 
taining a high standard of quality in his boiled oil. 
He makes an oil of uniform quality, doubly filtered and 
free from moisture and foots. With that kind of an 
oil, painters and decorators will get better results, have 
fewer painting problems, and even though the oil costs 
a few cents a gallon more than if raw oil were used, it 
will be a better investment. 

The mucilaginous matter, or foots, found in linseed oil 
is a substance which may appear in even the best filtered 
and prepared oil, because it is a substance formed by 
changes of temperature and it comes entirely from the 
oil itself. In other words, the best of care known to 
manufacturers may be exercised in the manufacture of 
a pure linseed oil, either raw or boiled, and yet if the 
barrel is subjected to many or extreme changes of tem- 
perature after it leaves the factory, the painter may 
find a considerable quantity of foots in the last few 
gallons drawn from the barrel. Foots do not constitute 
adulteration of the oil, and when they occur they can be 
returned to the reputable manufacturer and exchanged 
for clear oil without cost to the painter. 


84 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


In brands of high-grade boiled linseed oil most of the 
foots have been removed by heating, chilling and filter- 
ing. The oil when it leaves the factory is entirely suit- 
able for painting purposes. It is possible and practical 
to completely remove all foots from linseed oil; indeed, 
that is regularly done with oils made for special manu- 
facturing purposes. It requires a rather elaborate chem- 
ical process to remove all foots, and that makes the oil 
cost eight or ten cents per gallon more. For ordinary 
painting purposes there is no advantage in removing 
every trace of foots from the oil; at least, it is not worth 
the extra cost, generally speaking. 

If the painter will just be alert and not use any of 
the thick oil from the bottom of an occasional barrel 
containing foots, he will experience no difficulty. If 
this oil is used by a careless workman it may retard the 
drying of the paint, causing it to remain soft and tacky 
for a long time. Then it may become discolored by 
accumulations of dust or insect Swarms. _ 

High-class boiled linseed oil is made by filtering and 
heating the raw oil in large tanks to 240 degrees of 
temperature. This is to eliminate the moisture. Then 
high quality drying substances, such as manganese, red 
lead, litharge, raw umber and cobalt driers are added 
while the oil is still hot to thoroughly incorporate them. 
After this the oil is cooled down and thoroughly filtered. 
The oil is not actually boiled, as the name would indi- 
eate, as that would require raising the temperature to 
600 degrees of heat. Such a high temperature will cause 
the oil to become thicker and darker in color. For all 
practical purposes raising the temperature to 240 degrees 
is sufficient to eliminate the moisture. 

There is reason to be cautious in buying boiled linseed 
oil from any but the well known and firmly established 
manufacturers, because there has been a practice in- 
dulged in by some paint jobbers and others of making 


PAINT OILS 85 


so-called linseed oi: which has not been high-grade 
material. This material has gained the name of bung- 
hole boiled oil, because it has been the practice of these 
firms to buy barrels of pure raw linseed oil, draw out a 
few gallons through the bung-hole and replace the pure 
linseed 011 with driers of their own making. In some 
instances adulterated oils have been put into the barrels 
because they were cheaper. This is bound to be inferior 
oil, even when these men start with pure, raw linseed 
oil and have no intention of doping it. They have not 
adequate manufacturing facilities to make good boiled 
linseed oil, and even if good driers were added they 
would not be thoroughly incorporated when put into 
the barrel in this manner with the cold oil. In other 
words, to make the oil right they would have to remove 
it from the barrels, heat and filter it and thoroughly 
incorporate the driers. They are not equipped to do that. 

When the makers of bung-hole boiled oil add cheaper 
oils, like deodorized fish oil and mineral oil, to pure 
linseed oil in order to increase their profits, the painter 
is likely to have considerable trouble with his paints 
because they are slow drying or remain soft and tacky 
indefinitely. In the case of white paints the adulterated 
oils may cause the paint to turn yellow. 

For general painting purposes outside, there is no 
successful substitute for pure linseed oil known to chem- 
istry today. Authorities on the subject of paint oils 
have looked diligently for a cheaper oil than linseed oil 
and one that would be just as good or better. They have 
not found one available’ in sufficient quantities up to 
this time. When such an oil is found, and has been 
proven by a few years of testing to be equal to the job, 
you will hear all about it from the paint trade in general 
and the reputable manufacturer. There are offered to 
you from time to time paint oils which are claimed to 
be equal or superior to linseed oil. Some of these oils 


86 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


have fancy names which are likely to deceive unless you 
are alert. Some such names as improved linseed oil, 
linseed oil compound, Manchurian linseed oil and some 
others have been put upon the market, only to have 
short careers because of their adulterated nature. 

As a general proposition, paint oils offered as a sub- 
stitute for linseed oil for outside house paints are valu- 
able only in proportion to the amount of pure linseed 
oil they contain. Usually their cost is only a few cents 
per gallon less than linseed oil and, of course, it is 
claimed for them that they are better than linseed oil. 
You will, however, be money ahead to let somebody else 
do the experimenting to prove or disprove the claims 
for these oils. At best you could save only a dollar or 
two on the average job by using questionable oil, and if 
a job goes wrong it may cost you fifty to one hundred 
dollars to do the work over again to satisfy your 
customer. 

To the average painter or decorator pure linseed oil © 
is all alike, but as a matter of fact there are differences, 
even though the prices are all about the same. It is 
therefore a wise policy to select a brand of boiled linseed 
oil of known quality made by one of the manufacturers 
who has an acknowledged reputable standing in the 
trade, and therefore secure oil which is uniform in 
quality from the beginning of the year to the end. You 
will do your mixing of paint after certain set formulas 
which you may have in print, or simply in your head 
from long practice, and it is obvious that any formula 
will give you better results if the basic materials specified 
in the formula are always of the same quality as to the 
small content of foots, uniform color and absence of 
moisture. There is some ground for doubting that 
painters can mix as durable or as uniform paint oil by 
using pure, raw linseed oil and Japan drier as is pro- 


PAINT OILS 87 


duced by manufacturers of high-class boiled linseed oil. 
By using boiled linseed oil you avoid the risk of having 
careless workmen adding too much drier to your raw 
Jinseed oil, thus wasting the drier, which is expensive, 
and injuring the paint. Of course, Japan drier should 
always’ be measured before adding a quantity to your 
paint, but it is only human for a painter to guess at it. 
If he has good judgment, guessing is all right, but many 
workmen are careless about this. 

It should be perfectly obvious, of course, that where 
there is any question about the high quality of the boiled 
linseed oil at hand it is much better to use pure raw 
oil with the addition of good Japan drier. 

The preference for raw or boiled linseed oil will be 
found to vary considerably in different parts of the 
eountry. Something more than half of the total amount 
of linseed oil in the United States is boiled. In some 
sections almost 100 per cent boiled oil is used, while in 
others raw oil is used in the largest proportion, depend- 
ing somewhat upon habits and training of the painters. 

There is just one certain way to secure a dependable 
linseed oil, either raw or boiled—that is, to buy from 
one of the reputable manufacturers of such products. 
Following is a list which is complete as far as careful 
investigation has made it possible to print of the manu- 
facturers of pure linseed oil. There are no dependable 
tests for determining the purity of linseed oil which 
can be used by the amateur. The tests which are depend- 
able require the services of a chemist and his laboratory. 
In several states laws have been enacted which require 
manufacturers of linseed oil to attach labels to the 
barrels, or cans, which read’ ‘‘pure linseed oil.’’ Such 
a label, which carries the name of a reliable manufac- 
turer and his address is assurance in these states that 
the oil is pure. 


88 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


American Linseed Company’s Brands—American lLin- 
seed Co., New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis; Archer & 
Co., St. Paul, Minn.; Campbell & Thayer, New York City; 
Cleveland Linseed & Oil Co., Chicago and Cleveland, O.; 
Close Linseed Oil Works, Iowa City, Iowa; Crown Linseed 
Oil Works, St. Louis, Mo.; Dean Linseed Oil Co., New 
York City; Des Moines Linseed Oil Works, Des Monies, Ia.; 
Detroit Linseed Oil Works, Detroit, Mich.; Douglas & Co., 
Minneapolis, Minn.; Douglas & .Co., Cedar Rapids, Ia.; 
Evans Linseed Oil Co., Indianapolis, Ind.; Hawkeye Lin- 
Seed Oil Works, Marshalltown, Ia.; Kansas City Lead & 
Oil Works, Kansas City, Mo.; Kellogg & McDougal Lin- 
seed Oil Works, Buffalo; Metzger Linseed Oil Co., Toledo, 
Ohio; Portland Linseed Oil Works, Portland, Ore.; Sioux 
City Linseed Oil Works, Sioux City, Ia.; Topeka Linseed 
Oil Works, Topeka, Kan.; The Metzger Linseed Oil Co., 
Chicago; The Toledo Linseed Oil Co., Toledo, Ohio; The 
Griswold Linseed Oil Co., Warren, Ohio; The W. P. Orr 
Linseed Oil Co., Piqua, Ohio; Woodman Linseed Oil Works, 
Omaha, Neb.; Wright & Hills Linseed Oil Co., Chicago, I11.; 
Wright & Lawther Oil & Lead Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

H. H. Clark’s Brands—Pioneer Linseed & Lead Co., 
Kansas City, Mo.; Clark’s Owl Brand Linseed; Decatur, 
Ill., Linseed Oil Co.; Mendota, I1l., Linseed Oil Co. 

National Lead Co.’s Brands—‘Armstrong & McKelvey,”’ 
‘‘Atlantic,”’ ‘‘Collier,” “Kentucky Lead & Oi (Co, 21000 
T. Lewis & Bros. Co.,’’ ‘““National Lead & Oil Co.,” “‘South- 
ern, = Wuteh Boys 

Alston Mfg. Co., Chicago. 

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Minneapolis. 

R. B. Brown Oil Co., St. Louis, Mo. 

George W. Blabon Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 

Chicago White Lead & Oil Co., Chicago, Il. 

Crescent Linseed Oil Co., Chicago, Il. 

Euston & Co., Chicago, Il. 

Grove Linseed Oil Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 

Hauenstein & Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Hirst & Begley Linseed Works, Chicago. 

Kelloggs & Miller, Amsterdam, N. Y. 

Lyster & Co., Fredonia, Kan. 

Mann Bros. & Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Metzger Seed & Oil Co., Toledo, O. 

Spencer Kellogg & Sons, Buffalo, N. Y. 

Minnesota Linseed Oil Co., Minneapolis, Minn. 

Northern Linseed Co., Minneapolis, Minn. 

O’Brien Varnish Co., South Bend, Ind. 

H. L. Pope & Co., Dayton, O. 

‘Red Wing Linseed Co., Red Wing, Minn. 


PAINT OILS | 89 


Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland, O. 

Thompson & Co., Allegheny, Pa. 

Amsterdam Linseed Oil Works, Amsterdam, N. Y. 
Ankeney Linseed Oil Co., Des Moines, Ia. 

Fredonia Linseed Oil Works, Fredonia, Kan. 
Northwestern Linseed Oil Works, Minneapolis, Minn. 
W. P. Orr Linseed Oil Co., Cincinnati, O. 

Pacific Oil & Lead Works, San Francisco, Cal. 

Wm. O. Goodrich & Co., Milwaukee, Wis. 

Bisbee Linseed Co., Philadelphia. 


Perilla Oil—Produced from seeds of perilla which 
gsrows in China, Japan and India. While it is a drying 
oil and appears in the American market in a very limited 
way, it is not used in a commercial way in the paint 
industry. Tests made of this oil by the American 
Society for Testing Materials and the Paint Manufac- 
turers’ Association resulted in its being considered 
superior to linseed oil by some. Perilla oil is considered 
of a high commercial value as a paint and varnish 
material in the Orient. The cultivation of the plant is 
being introduced into the United States. 

China-Wood Oil (Tung).—The use and popularity of 
this oil has increased greatly in the last ten years, and 
while the decorator and painter do not come in contact 
with it often as an oil, they.do use vast quantities of it 
as part of interior flat wall paint and varnishes. 

From China-wood oil a varnish is made which dries 
flat and is the principal liquid of flat wall paints. AI- 
though this oil is not extensively used in paints for 
general purposes, it may be so used in the future. It is 
used in making marine paints today, because of its 
ability to withstand the action of salt air and salt water. 

China-wood oil comes from the Orient and is made 
from nuts of certain trees. Unlike most oils, it dries: 
with a flat, waxlike appearance and is not transparent 
when dry. It has an odor which is not forgotten easily, 
though it is not unpleasant. This oil is not used in its 
raw state, but is usually cooked with resins or such 


90 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


drying substances as manganese, lead oxides, red lead, 
litharge or cobalt, and then thinned with turpentine or 
mineral spirits. The cooking causes China-wood oil to 
dry with a gloss, rather than the flat appearance of the 
raw oil. This oil is used in the making of some excellent 
varnishes. 

Soya-Bean Owl.—A vegetable oil made from soya beans, 
grown extensively in Manchuria and Korea, and to some 
extent in the United States as animal feed. Soya beans 
belong to the same family as the ordinary pea and bean. 
This oil dries very slowly and makes a soft film. The 
cost of it is low compared to linseed oil, and it is, there- 
fore, used sometimes to adulterate linseed oil. Soya- 
bean oil is in rather general use by manufacturers in the 
paint industry for prepared materials, but is not used 
by painters and decorators as a raw oil. Chemists say 
that as much as 25 per cent of soya-bean oil ean be added 
to linseed oil for painting purposes without injury to 
the film. Certain colors ground in soya-bean oil appear 
to be more satisfactory than when ground in linseed oil. 

Menhaden Oil.—Produced from menhaden fish, mostly. 
Considered a drying oil and recommended by the ¢hem- 
ists for use in smokestack paints and for paints subjected 
to moist, salt air. It will not blister the paint on hot 
surfaces. ' 

Kerosene and Petroleum Oils——Except benzine, these 
oils serve no good purpose in paints used by the painter 
and decorator, as they are non-drying liquids. They are 
used for certain special metal paints where a small quan- 
tity of these oils is needed to retard the hard drying of 
the paint, but they should be used only by expert manu- 
facturers who know exactly what to do and how. 

Kerosene used by painters and decorators is quite 
certain to cause trouble with tacky paint. It will turn 
white paint yellow. Some marine painters claim to have 
used kerosene successfully on wood boats, but it is more 





. PAINT OILS 91 


than likely that they had more luck than good sense in 
the work. 

Creosote Oil.—An oil distilled from coal tar and which 
is heavier than water. It is also called heavy oil and 
dead oil in:some industries. 

Its outstanding value is as a preservative of wood, 
and so it is best known as a base for shingle stains. 

The odor of creosote oil is a strong characteristic and 
one not likely to be forgotten easily. 

When not carefully refined for use in stains, creosote 
oil is apt to throw down a sediment in cold weather. 
This settling or separation of color and liquid can be 
overcome when the manufacturer exercises due care in 
chilling and filtering the oil before permitting its use in 
stains. 

Flatting Oil—About the time special flat wall paints 
appeared on the market there appeared also special oil 
compounds ealled flatting oils. 

These oils are made for use by painters when they 
wish to mix their own flat wall paints, using white lead, 
zine and tinting colors for the purpose. 

Flat wall paints mixed in this way hide the surface 
well, flow out, level up, and have good brushing quali- 
ties and dry with a beautiful flat luster. Such a surface 
is washable and, of course, the paint can be tinted any 
color needed to execute an individual color scheme. 

Flat Mixing Varnish.—This is a type of thin varnish 
suitable for mixing with certain paint pigments for 
making flat wall paints which dry without gloss, with 
a dull luster and a washable surface. Flat mixing 
varnish may also be used in mixing enamels and enamel 
undercoats, but is not generally distributed except in 
quantity or on special order. Used chiefly by manu- 
facturers. 

Floor Oil.—This is simply a mixture made by deco- 
rators ard marrfacturers of drying oils and spirits for 


92 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


use in oiling maple and birch floors. Floors which cannot 
withstand the travel of many feet, as in offices and fac- 
tories, are treated with oil, because it is cheaper than 
varnish and varnish could not withstand such hard 
service. The oil gives a uniform color and makes a floor 
which is easy to clean. 

Mineral oils are used for floors, but usually decorators 
use linseed oil to which some turpentine and beeswax or 
paraffin wax are added. <A pot of this mixture should 
be heated in a pail of hot water or on a steam radiator 
(not an open fire). Apply it hot with mops and wipe 
up any excess with rags. 

Unfilled oak trim in houses is finished this way for 
an antique effect. Table tops oiled two or three times 
are very serviceable,—hot dishes and water do not mar 
them. 

Gloss Oil—This is not really an oil but a thin varnish 
made, usually, of rosin—the residue from the distillation 
of turpentine—and benzine, turpentine or mineral spir- 
its. A cheap product made for finishing barrels. It 
scratches easily and is no material for decorators to use. 
It is sometimes used as a size to stop suction on plaster 
walls. Used under ecalcimine and cold water paints, 
satisfaction usually results, but it should never be used 
under paint. Wallpaper, canvas or other fabrics will 
not long adhere to surfaces coated with gloss oil, and 
sometimes not even if paint is put on top of the gloss oil. 
The oil must be removed with hot water having some 
wallpaper paste in it and considerable sal soda or Gold 
Dust. It is brushed on with a ecalecimine brush and 
washed off with a sponge and clear water. 

Polishing and Rubbing Oils—These are usually min- 
eral oils of light weight,—sewing machine oil is good. 
Used with pumice stone or rotten stone for rubbing 
varnish on pianos, fine furniture and wood trim. 

Megilp Owl—Used by artist painters for pictorial 





/ 


PAINT OILS 93 


work on canvas. It is a mixture of pale drying oil 
and mastie varnish. If unwisely used this oil will cause 
allegatoring and cracking of the painted surface. 

Bronzing Inguids——For interior decorating purposes 
the purchase of a prepared liquid in gallon cans is 
usually most convenient and economical. These pre- 
pared liquids are usually made with amyl acetate 
(banana oil) which is mixed with dry bronze powders 
to make a paint; in fact, there are many lacquers made 
with a cellulose nitrate or acetate base. As a rule these 
are for use only indoors where protected from the 
weather and moisture. 

Decorators often make a bronze liquid by adding a 
little turpentine or benzine to good interior varnish to 
thin it to just the right consistency, and when this is 
mixed with dry bronze powders a satisfactory metallic 
paint results. 

For aluminum paints used on exterior metal surfaces, 
or any exterior surface, ordinary raw linseed oil is not 
suitable; it is too thin and permits the paint to run and 
streak. But, on the other hand, a special oil called 
heavy bodied boiled linseed oil is excellent for a mod- 
erate priced exterior metallic paint. 

Spar varnish thinned to proper consistency with tur- 
pentine or benzine makes a good bronze liquid for 
exterior surfaces and for all surfaces that are to be 
washed. A mixture of spar varnish and regular or 
heavy bodied boiled linseed oil makes a less expensive 
exterior paint which is very serviceable. 

Compounds of China-wood oil (tung oil) and many 
other mixtures can be used for bronzing liquids. Care 
must be taken to make sure of proper drying properties 
in the liquid, however, since the leaf formation of a 
bronze pigment tends to retard drying. 

A bronze liquid composed of linseed oil principally 
does not make a very hard film, and for that reason 


94 THE MIXING OF COLORS AWD PAINTS 


bronze paints which are to be subjected to abrasion, as 
on furniture, should be composed largely of good 
varnish. 

To sum up, then, a bronze liquid must possess sufficient 
body to carry the metallic pigment and brush out into 
a smooth surface; it must contain enough drier to dry 
in a reasonable time; it must dry with a surface hard 
enough to resist abrasion when used for some purposes. 

For mixing directions using bronze paints see Chap- 
ter XI. 


CHAPTER VII 
VOLATILE THINNERS AND DRIERS 


In the mixing of paints, fillers, stains and shellac 
such liquids as turpentine, benzine, alcohol and mineral 
spirits are used to make these other substances fluid, in 
order that they may be brushed out to a film of uniform 
thickness over a surface. 

To assure a more advantageous use of these liquids an 
understanding of their properties is essential. And so 
the chief outlines following have been written without 
any attempt to go into the chemistry of each liquid. 

Turpentine—This is probably the most important 
volatile thinner used by the painting trades for paints 
and varnishes. It is manufactured by distilling the 
resin of the long-leaf pine trees in America. Rosin also 
results from the distillation of the sap of pine trees. At 
first turpentine was made only from the resin or gum 
obtained from the tree, and that product is now known 
as gum turpentine. Turpentine is also extracted from 
the sawdust and stumps by steam distillation or de- 
structive distillation of the wood and is known as wood 
turpentine. 

Wood turpentine has a disagreeable odor if not very 
earefully refined and usually is not so uniform in 
quality. The odor can be removed to a satisfactory 
degree and the characteristics of wood turpentine can 
be refined to approach closely those of gum turpentine. 

Turpentine has certain very valuable solvent and 
flatting properties for paint and varnish products. The 
painter and decorator finds that when mixed with white 

95 


96 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


and colored pigments it makes a paint which flows well, 
penetrates and dries without gloss. 

The ability to penetrate into the pores of a surface is 
one of the outstanding virtues of turpentine. Pure 
turpentine evaporates almost completely after it has 
made the paint fluid, assisted in spreading the pigment 
to cover the surface uniformly and to penetrate it. But 
turpentine is not a binder in itself; on evaporation it 
leaves the pigment about as it was before it entered the 
paint, except that the pigment is more closely packed. 

Turpentine has two objectionable properties for use 
inside of buildings; one, its very strong odor, which 
nauseates some people and is objectionable to a great 
many; the other is the ill effects turpentine causes on 
one’s kidneys. Unless decorators are unusually careful 
about securing ample ventilation when working with 
turpentine, they are apt to feel such ill effects as will 
prevent them from using turpentine for interior work. 
That is why many painters prefer benzine and appear 
to produce quite as good results with it on interior 
decorating. Benzine should not be used in place of 
turpentine for exterior painting. 

Among the spirit thinners turpentine evaporates most 
slowly, more slowly than benzine or gasoline and very 
much more slowly than alcohol and benzol. Some of 
the especially distilled mineral spirits evaporate quite as 
slowly as turpentine. Sometimes turpentine is adul- 
terated with non-volatile petroleum oils. 

Turpentine oxidizes (takes on oxygen: from the air like 
linseed oil) to some extent and assists the drying of 
paint. And while pure turpentine evaporated from a 
dish apparently leaves no residue, chemical analysis of 
paints containing turpentine recovers less of it than was 
put into the paint. A bit of rosin from the turpentine 
must, therefore, remain in the paint. On the other hand, 


VOLATILE THINNERS AND DRIERS 97 


all the benzine put into paint can be recovered by 
ehemical analysis. 

Turpentine Substitutes—These spirit liquids are 
usually mineral spirits made from Texas petroleum 
having an asphaltic base. They vary considerably in 
their properties as to specific gravity, flash point, ability’ 
as solvents and how completely they evaporate. The 
best grades should evaporate completely during drying, 
have good solvent power and cause no precipitation of 
sums or polymerized oil in paint and varnish. For the - 
use of painters and decorators the mineral spirits having 
a flash point near that of turpentine are less of a fire 
risk and are the most desirable for that reason. In these 
petroleum spirits having satisfactory volatility and sol- 
vent power there may still be differences which cause 
satisfactory or unsatisfactory flowing, spreading and 
general brush-working qualities in varnish, enamels and 
paints. 

Mineral Spirits—Petroleum from the Ohio and Penn- 
sylvania oil fields has a paraffin base, while petroleum 
from the Texas oil fields has an Pe haliic base. 

Benzines of a higher gravity, and which evaporate 
more slowly, are made from the Texas petroleum rather 
than from petroleum having a paraffin base. These 
benzines from Texas petroleum are called mineral spirits 
and they ean be distilled to dry quite as slowly as 
turpentine. 

Careful regulation of fractional distillation of petro- 
leum with a paraffin base, however, produces mineral 
spirits similar to such benzines made from asphaltic 


petroleum. 


Benzine.—While this spirit is a petroleum product, it 
is an exception to the rule against the use of this class 
in paint. It is a volatile thinner which evaporates more 
or less completely after it has served the purpose of 


98 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


making the paint liquid so that it can be spread uni- 
formly thick over a surface. 

Benzine is a distilled, colorless liquid made from 
crude petroleum. It has a gravity of from 55 to 72 de- 
erees by Baumé hydrometer while gasoline, the lighter 
product from the same base, shows a gravity of from 
60 to 62 degrees Baumé. The heavier oils, like fuel 
oil and lubricating oils, are distilled from the same 
petroleum base. 

Painters have been criticised for years because of 
their use of benzine, but such criticism has seldom been 
justified. Once in a while a lazy painter will add too 
much benzine to outside paint in order to make it brush 
onto the surface easier, but he usually gets caught soon 
enough, because the paint then dries without gloss. 

Benzine has many good uses in a paint shop aside 
from its value for washing surfaces, brushes and pots. 
For flat wall finishing and in the hands of skilled deco- 
rators it serves quite as well as turpentine. It will, of 
course, cause the paint to brush out “‘short’’ and to 
‘‘nile up’’ if not properly mixed as to proportion 
with oil. 

Benzine has no place in exterior house paints be- 
cause it does not possess the same ability as turpentine 
to penetrate the pores of the surface. 

While benzine used in large amounts in rooms with- 
out ventilation causes ill effects—a ‘‘benzine jag’’—as 
the painters call it, as generally used in place of tur- 
pentine it is far safer, less harmful to health and 
pleasanter. 

Do not confuse benzine—(spelled with an ‘‘i’’) with 
benzene. Benzine is a petroleum product, but benzene 
is similar to benzol and toluol, which are definite com- 
pounds derived from the heht oil of coal tar. 

Benzol.—A light oil distillate from coal tar which is 
a volatile spirit with a boiling point of 82 degrees C 


VOLATILE THINNERS AND DRIERS 99 


(180 degrees F). A powerful solvent of gums, resins, 
cils and varnishes. Sometimes called 160 degree sgol- 
vent naptha. Used by painters to add to paint for pitch 
pine surfaces or to brush on to such resin filled wood 
to cut the resin and give the paint an TATE to 
penetrate and anchor itself. 

Solvent Naptha—aA distillate of light oil from coal 
tar. It boils principally between 130 degrees C (266 
degrees F') and 160 degrees C (320 degrees F). 

Solvent Naptha is commonly known to painters and 
decorators as 160 degree benzol and is used by them in 
small amounts occasionally in exterior paint to be spread 
on to pitch pine or other woods the pores of which are 
completely filled with resin or an oily substance. 

Solvent naptha is less volatile (it evaporates more 
slowly) than benzol or toluol. 

The excellent properties of solvent naptha, as a sol- 
vent for bituminous paints, varnishes, gums, oils and 
resins has made it widely used in the paint and var- 
nish industry. It is a common ingredient in paint and 
varnish removers and in substitutes for turpentine. 

Amyl Acetate (Banana Oil).—This is the oil used 
commonly as the vehicle and binder for bronze paints 
—ealled bronzing liquid. 

Amyl acetate, amyl aleohol and methyl alcohol are 
solvents used by manufacturers in nitrocellulose lacquers 
and, while painters and decorators read mention of 
them occasionally, there is little or no use for them as 
such in the ordinary course of business. 

Alcohol_—That used by painters is almost entirely 
denatured aleohol. It is grain alcohol to which poisons 
are added according to government requirements, to 
denature it and make it unfit for human consumption. 

Painters use denatured alcohol for many purposes,— 
for thinning shellac, for washing up wood trim after 
an old finish has been stripped off with liquid varnish 


100 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


removers and for mixing with water stains to secure 
penetration. 

Wood alcohol is not so extensively used. It is a 
powerful solvent of varnish and paint films and is used 
to some extent as a remover of these coatings. Wood 
alcohol is also a deadly poison. 

Vinegar (acetic acid).—Mention ought to be made of 
this liquid, because it is used for several purposes by 
decorators. Most of the graining done now is distemper 
eraining rather than oil graining. In distemper grain- 
ing distemper colors—those ground in water—are used. 


Glue is added as a binder and ordinary table vinegar is- 


used as the liquid with which to make the colors fluid. 
Cider and beer have been extensively used for this 
purpose. 

Vinegar is also used to neutralize plaster or cement 
surfaces which have “‘hot spots’’ of active lime in them, 
although zine sulphate (10 parts of zine to 90 parts of 
water) is a better wash for this purpose. Also vinegar is 
brushed on to a floor bleached with oxalie acid to nenu- 
tralize it. A painted wall which has too much gloss or 
which is too greasy to permit spreading another coat of 
paint on top (when new paint runs, sags and wrinkles) 
ean be cut enough by washing down with vinegar to 
make possible the application of new paint. 


Driers.—Such metals as lead, manganese, cobalt, cal- 


clum, iron and zine put into chemical compound solu- 
tions and added to drying oils hasten the drying of 
these liquids. For instance, linseed oil becomes dry by 
taking up oxygen from the air. The addition of drier 
speeds up the rate of absorption of oxygen by the oil. 
Driers are used by manufacturers in various forms. 
In Europe, and in America for many years, a paste 
drier was in common use, but today liquid driers are 
In universal use as far as the painter and decorator are 
eoneerned. Driers are always purchased ready for use 


~ = 





VOLATILE THINNERS AND DRIERS 101 


by painters. No attempt should be made to compound 
them, as that requires the services of professional 
chemists. 

In the manufacture of driers the metals, lead, man- 
ganese and cobalt are used, and also certain drying 
pigments,—red lead, lead acetate (sugar of lead) and 
litharge, principally. 

In the trade driers are listed as driers, oil driers, 
Japan driers and as Japans. The name on the can or 
barrel may not fairly indicate what class of drier will 
be found in the container, however, because these names 
are used rather indiscriminately. 

Japan drier is a liquid most commonly made from 
solutions of lead and manganese salts, neutral linseed 
oil, resin or gum and turpentine or mineral spirits. It 
should dry to a hard film well attached to the surface 
when spread alone on a piece of glass for testing. Some 
such driers are made very light in color for white paints, 
but most of them are dark brown. Lead acetate (sugar 
of lead) and litharge are principally used in making the 
white or light colored driers. 

Oil driers when properly made contain no gums or 
resins and do not dry to a hard film. As a rule oil 
driers made of both lead and manganese salts as an 
oleate are considered better than resinate driers and 
Japans. A manganese drier will expand while drying 
and resists moisture better than lead driers. But, on 
the other hand, driers made from lead salts, while they 
contract on drying, will withstand heat better. The 
usual manufacturing practice, therefore, is to use both 
lead and manganese salts to gain the virtues of both. 

Some oils and pigments dry naturally to a greater or 
lesser degree in their own time. To hasten this drying, 
to make semi-drying liquids dry hard, driers are essen- 
tial. And, generally, driers are needed to make the use 
of paint, varnish and other decorative and protective 


102 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


coatings dry within a reasonable time and with a hard 
surface having no tacky or sticky character. 

Without the use of drier in paint during hot, humid 
or cold, wet weather, the paint may dry so slowly that 
dust, flies or gnats in swarms may accumulate on the 
paint and disfigure it. 

As a matter of convenience it is essential that paint 
and varnish dry within a reasonable time to permit 
workmen to proceed with a job from day to day with 
one coat after another; and fairly rapid drying is essen- 
tial, too, so that decorating done in buildings where 
people must continue to live and work will not soil 
clothes and persons. 

For practical purposes, then, driers are essential in 
paint, varnish and other decorative and protective ma- 
terials, but the durability or life of the coating is less- 
ened by the use of driers. Therefore the use of the 
least amount of drier which will serve the purpose is 
always the proper guide when a coating is expected to 
be durable. As a general principle it may be said that 
the quickest drying coatings are the least durable; the 
slower drying the most durable. 

This is readily understood when you know that the 
final destruction of a paint film is the result of oxidation. 

A gubstanece like driers, which speeds the drying of 
paint, then, by that very fact, makes the life of that 
paint shorter. 

This principle is of vital imporance as a guide in 
mixing exterior paints used as a protective coating on 
any surface. The use of too large a quantity of drier 
simply burns out the life of the oil and destruction of 
the paint film proceeds rapidly. It is for this reason 
that well informed master painters use a high grade 
boiled linseed oil and permit their journeymen painters 
to use no Japan driers; a careless use of too large a 
quantity of Japan drier with raw linseed oil is thus 


VOLATILE THINNERS AND DRIERS 103 


avoided. The use of Japan drier which is not very 
strong overcomes this risk to some extent, but even 
then the careless workman simply guesses that even a 
larger quantity is needed, and so continues the abuse. 
Every ounce of driers used ought to be measured, but 
in actual practice the man who measures quantities of 
any material is a rare fellow in the painting business. 

The use of driers in interior paints is quite another 
proposition. Durability is not, relatively, an important 
consideration. The paint will wear out from abrasion, 
or be repainted because it has become soiled or because 
a change of color is wanted, and so the life of the liquid 
binder calls for little consideration. 

A common sense policy to follow in the buying of 
driers and in their use is to select. an advertised brand 
made by a reputable firm; carefully note the quantity 
you use in a gallon of paint and the time required for 
it to dry in hot humid weather and in cold wet weather; 
then use as little as is practical, considering the result 
wanted. It is a good plan to study the manufacturer’s 
directions and literature. And once you have learned 
the best use of a good quality drier, don’t change brands, 
or it will be necessary to acquire experience again from 
the beginning to learn the reaction of the new brand. 

Tests to determine the strength of different brands of 
driers, the speed with which they cause the paint to 
dry, and the ultimate durability of a paint containing 
various amounts of driers can be made by the painter 
if he wants to go to that trouble. 

To test the strength and speed of drying, use pieces 
of glass about a foot square,—one piece for each brand 
of drier to be tested. On one-third of the glass brush 
a coat of raw linseed oil; on the next third brush a coat 
of the same oil to which about 3 per cent of the drier 
has been added; and on the last third of the glass brush 
paint mixed with the same oil and drier used on the 





104 | ‘THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS a 









second strip. Note the time when this test is completed — as 
and then record the number of hours required for each — 
set to dry to the touch and to dry hard. 

To test the durability of an oil film and a paint mixed 
with a given brand of drier, follow the same method on 
wood panels and expose them to the weather. Two or 
three years’ time will be required to make any fair 
determination. 


CHAPTER VIII 
GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 


The mixing of paints, enamels and colors to make 
serviceable and decorative coatings for many surfaces, 
under greatly varying weather and climatic conditions, 
calls for exercising considerable discrimination. Success 
to an ordinary degree is not at all difficult to attain, but 
to gain the utmost durability from paints and at the 
same time leave the surface in good condition for re- 
painting when the old paint wears out, is an accomplish- 
ment which tests the skill of experienced painters and 
expert paint makers. 

There are some well established rules for use in the 
mixing of paints which have been developed during 
years of mixing and applying paint and the observation 
of results. If the knowledge of the practical men who 
have gained the experience summed up in the rules and 
principles set forth here is utilized, one making a study 
of paint mixing can readily become expert without wait- 
ing long years to gain the knowledge by the slow process 
ef personal experience, success, failure, observation, 
deduction and seeking the remedy. 

In Chapters I to VII color pigments, basic paint 
pigments and paint liquids were enumerated and their 
characteristics described. These are the ingredients 
essential to the mixing of colors and paints. 

Before beginning experiments and practice work in 
mixing, brief consideration of necessary tools, utensils 
and working methods is in order. 

105 


106 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


TOOLS NEEDED 

The tools and utensils needed on a well planned and 
equipped mixing bench for any trade or arts and crafts 
shop where colors and paints are mixed are these 
(Plate 2): 

Scales——Mixing formulas are written in pounds, 
ounces, fractions of ounces, pennyweights and half 
pennyweights. Or a formula may be stated thus, for 





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NOE ih 
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Mt NN i ff Bir 


Plate 2.—Mixing Pots, Tubs and Equipment 


example: 2 parts medium chrome yellow, 1 part raw 
umber and 3 parts white lead. This may be interpreted 
as pennyweights, or ounces, or pounds, depending upon 
how large a batch of paint you wish to mix. Usually a 
balance scale which accurately weighs ounces and pounds 
will serve all purposes, but where very small amounts 
and accuracy are essential, druggist seales are needed 
to weigh pennyweights and half pennyweights. 

Measures.—F or liquids a.glass graduate measure and 
pint, quart and gallon measures are needed. 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 107 


Pots, Pails and Tubes.—Plenty of clean, empty pots 
and pails are essential for ordinary mixing. Empty 
white lead kegs of 1214, 25 and 50 pound size, and one- 
gallon prepared paint pails, are useful. Small press-top 
eans are handy for small batches of colors and paints; 


LSS 





Plate 3.—Paint Strainers 


while for large batches empty white lead kegs of 50- 
pound 100-pound and 300-pound size are very good. 
Often barrels are used for mixing very large lots of 
paint, stain and calcimine. Sometimes a barrel is sawed 
througa the middle, thus making two tubs in which ten 
to fifteen gallons of paint can be mixed. 


108 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Strainers.—Manufactured strainers such as are shown 
on Plate 3 may be used. The cone, or funnel-shaped, 
strainer is made of paper and cloth. It is designed to 
be used once or twice and then destroyed, to save the 
time needed to clean it. The cost is low. The other 





























Broad Scraper Glass Mixing Slab 


Plate 4.—Mixing Tools 


strainer pictured is made of tin and is provided with a 
removable screen bottom which is easily taken out for 
cleaning or to be replaced with a new one. 

Strainers most commonly used are made by placing a 
piece of cheesecloth, double, over the top of a paint pot. 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 109 


Then a string is wound around the pot two or three 
times to hold the cloth in place while pouring and stir- 
ring the paint through the cloth. 

Paddles—On first thought any stick would seem to 
be suitable for paint and color mixing, but that is not 
true. Mixing can be done more quickly and better with 
paddles of wood or iron which are flat and rather wide 
at the bottom. When mixing large batches a long 
paddle which can be used with both hands is necessary ; 
—one about the size and shape of a canoe paddle is 
very good. 

Palette and Putty Knives.—A putty knife is needed 
for opening small cans of color and paint, while a strong 
large screwdriver is needed for prying off covers from 
lead kegs. A palette knife is handy for mixing small 
daubs of colors on a piece of plate glass to try out for 
color matches, to note transparency of colors and the 
fineness or texture of pigments. 

Other Tools.—Several pieces of plate or ordinary win- 
dow glass about six inches square are needed. These 
are of use as slabs upon which to mix small batches of 
colors to note how nearly they match samples. The 
eolor is spread on with a palette knife (spatula) or a 
putty knife. 

Some pieces of waxed paper, all of uniform size to’ 
insure accuracy on scales, are needed. Colors, or basic 
paint pigments, are placed on paper in order to weigh 
them on a scale when doing experimental and practice 
mixing. 

Wiping rags and a bottle of benzine for cleaning up 
glass slabs, knives and mixing paddles are needed also 
on a mixing bench. An empty quart ink bottle with a 
small screw cap is a handy and safe benzine container. 

A few dozen ordinary watch crystals (old, odd sizes 
from your jeweler) are very handy for testing com- 
parative whiteness, tint or shade of paints. 




















































































































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Plate 5.—A Handy Paint Mixing Bench 


Hand Mixer 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS pm ae 


A suggested plan for a handy mixing bench is shown 
in Plate 5. 

Paint Mills—For the mixing of large batches of 
paints, colors, putty, paste floor fillers and printing inks, 
hand and power mills and mixers are great time savers 
and a convenience in a paint shop. 

A generation ago painters bought colors, lead and 
zine in dry powder form and ground them in oil through 
hand mills as needed. This is not done today. Time 
and money are saved and more uniformly ground and 
mixed pigments are secured from manufacturers in 
paste form. 

Hand and power mixers, such as are illustrated on 
Plate 6, are used today in paint shops for mixing 
large batches of putty, paint and color with oil, tur- 
pentine and drier to brushing consistency. With these 
machines much more thorough mixing is done than ean 
be accomplished by hand; they are a convenience and 
assure a saving of time. The investment is not large. 
Mixing machines are constructed to assure quick and 
easy cleaning. 

Mixing Ready-Mixed Paints—White and_ colored 
paints already prepared are available on the market. 
They are prepared for interior and exterior house paint- 
ing on wood, metal, plaster, brick and cement surfaces. 

Prepared paints contain all necessary basic pigment, 
eolor, oil, turpentine and drier and are mixed ready to 
be brushed onto a surface. 

To use these paints cut the top of the can out with a 
putty knife. Then pour the liquid off the top into a 
elean pot and stir the pigment in the bottom of the can 
until it is soft and well mixed. Next, pour back part 
of the liquid into the pigment and continue stirring 
until it is absorbed; repeat this until the paint is well 
mixed. To complete the mixing pour the whole batch 


112 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


oy 
i iN! 
Be 7 

















Power Mixer 


Plate 6.—Machine Paint Mixers 


4 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 113 


from one pot to the other several times and stir until all 
pigment has dissolved in the liquid. 

Mixing White Lead Paint—Paints for all purposes 
to be mixed in white and colors from white lead as a 
base are made ready for the brush in this manner: 

White lead comes to you in thick paste form; in tubes; 
1-pound, 3-pound and 5-pound cans; 1214-pound, 25- 
pound, 50-pound and 100-pound steel kegs; 300-pound 
and 500-pound wood casks. It contains 8 per cent pure 
raw linseed oil and 92 per cent white lead. One hundred 
pounds of white lead paste bulks about 2.85 ‘gallons. 

To break up this thick paste, place the amount needed 
in a clean pot or tub (an empty 100-pound white lead 
keg is good for mixing two- or three-gallon batches). 
Now add a very little linseed oil (or turpentine) and 
stir it into the lead. It is important that you put in 
not over one-fourth of the oil at first; less is better. 
When the first lot of oil has disappeared into the lead, 
add a little more and repeat until all the oil needed to 
bring the paint to stout brushing consistency has been 
added by thorough stirring with a paddle or in a 
machine mixer. 

With the paint in this condition, add the necessary 
‘urpentine (and Japan drier if raw oil is used), also 
the colors, which have been previously mixed with oil 
and strained. 

It is important that this method be followed, as it is 
the only economical way to mix the paint correctly. 
If too much oil is put in at first, little gobs of lead 
paste will swim around in the oil and dodge your 
mixing paddle for some time. The proper time to mix 
paint is when it is in thin paste form. If this is well 
done the balance of the oil can be easily and quickly 
stirred into the batch. 

The mixing of other paste paints can be accomplished 
to best advantage in exactly the same way. 


114 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Dry white lead is not used by painters and decorators 
for mixing paints. It is first ground through stone 
mills with oil by the manufacturers. 

Mixing Lead and Zinc Paint.—Various combinations 
of white pigments are used, as well as white lead, as 
the basic material for white and light-tinted paints. In 
some instances a leaded zine combination made by manu- 
facturers is used, and in others painters and decorators 
mix together white lead paste and zine oxide paste, both 
eround in linseed oil. 

The mixing and thinning with oil or turpentine is 
best accomplished by exactly the same method as was 
described for breaking up white lead paste. Break up 
the two pigments separately and when each is nearly 
thin enough for brushing mix the two together by pour- 
ing one into the other and then boxing the whole batch; 
that is, by pouring the paint from one pot to another 
several times. 

The turpentine, drier and colors (the latter being first 
mixed thin separately with oil or turpentine) should 
next be added, if colored paint is to be mixed; if not, 
simply add the final quantity of oil (or turpentine for 
flat paint) needed to thin the paint to brushing con- 
sistency. 

The proportions used when mixing lead and zine paint 
vary according to the purposes for which the paint is 
to be used. For interior paints the question of dura- 
bility doesn’t enter, when mixing enamels, enamel under- 
coats and paints; but for exterior house paints which 
are subjected to temperature changes, sun, wind, rain, 
hail and frost, too much zine may make a paint film so 
hard and inelastic that it will erack and scale off. White 
paint used on the sea coast and subjected to moist, salt 
air continually is especially in need of 15 or 20 per cent 
of zine to 85 or 80 per cent of white lead. 

When mixing these two basic white pigments it is 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 115 


important to remember that zine, being finer than white 
lead, bulks much more per hundred pounds and requires 
more oil to thin it to brushing consistency. On an 
average, zine paste is ground with 15 to 19 per cent of 
linseed oil to 85 or 81 per cent of pigment; while white 
lead is ground with 8 per cent of oil to 92 per cent of 
pigment. One hundred pounds of pure zine oxide bulks 
about 414 gallons, while 100 pounds of white lead bulks 
a little more than 234 gallons. 

Zine oxide is marketed in steel kegs and pails of 
various sizes—1214-pound, 25-pound, 50-pound, 100- 
pound—and in small tubes for artists and decorators. 

Consequently, care must be shown in mixing quan- 
tities of white lead and zine oxide pastes ground in oil, 
if correct proportions are to be maintained. 

Below is a tabulation which shows the quantities of 
each pigment, in pounds of paste, to mix together to 
make 100 pounds of combination paste of any given 
proportions. In other words, the dry pigment of such 
a paint mixture will analyze as per the proportions 
shown in this table: 


Use Zine Oxide Use White Lead 


Proportions Desired in Oil in Oil 
20.0% Zinc....80.0% Lead 2 Leiber 78 lbs. 
22.0. eee. Belch. D ‘“ ow te Or poe 
25.0 EP eae ED ia 26 oe Coek 
21.0 a ToD a pS Tk TOSI os 
30.0 os 70.0 ot aks 68° 
Sees Pe 67.5 oe oan eR ey 
$5.0 Ha 65.0 x oO Goat 
37.5 as 62.5 fy He ee ead 
40.0 a 60.0 : ae 5S. 5 
42.5 ey 57.5 oy y Was 5 es 
45.0 Fs 55.0 ies tS Sane Bo ce 
47.5 ay Die D ce 49 * 50 ‘ 
50.0 < 50.0 3 SPR 1 Niele 
52.5 A 47.5 =< 54a AB * 
55.0 Ee 45.0 = swe ey 43.4§ 
57-5 y 4 49.5 Hy 59 ** Oe 


116 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Use Zine Oxide Use White Lead 


——— 


Proportions Desired in Oil in Oil ; 
62.5 Sion igh a te ee, a - C407 Eph 
65.0 Sey Road Cai <: 66° i 
67.5 ae ie ae 2 69 *° Bt os 
70.0 me SoU < NU Ds pe ae 
eee tf wee Cae i 1p 20." 
75.0 A ie Oe ; 1652 20,>* 3 
TED Ss «oon . 1S) as a Bade 
80.0 os 20.0 or Sie 180 


Straining Paints and Colors—There are several 
advantages to be gained by straining your paints and 
colors, no matter how well they are mixed. Straining 
paint through fly sereen or, better yet, through a finer 
mesh screen or cheesecloth breaks up the particles of 
pigments more completely and incorporates them with 
the oil or other liquid; straining removes sediment, 
small particles of dried paint skin and foreign sub- 
stances. By straining you mix paint which not only 
is cleaner and will make a finer textured film, but you 
are thus making a paint which hides the surface better 
and works out more smoothly under the brush. 

Straining of paint is not only an advantage when it 
is first mixed, but high-class painters and decorators 
will strain the same batch of paint two or three times a 
day when they are doing fine enamel, undercoatings or 
other particular work. You may start with a perfectly 
elean paint pot and strain into it a batch of paint 
which is clean and fine. Then you may take a brush 
which has been made absolutely free from dust, loose 
hairs and old paint skins; but after you have used this 
brush in transferring the paint to wood trim or other | 
surfaces for an hour or two you will find that the brush 
has picked up more or less dust and grit particles from | 
corners and crevices and carried this foreign material 
into your pot of paint. In varnishing and enamel work 
it is highly important also that you strain the material 
often. 





GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS Dt 


The straining may be done by using one of the manu- 
-factured strainers shown on Plate 3, or you may tie 
a double thickness of cheesecloth on top of a paint 
bucket as tightly as possible with twine; then pour the 
paint, varnish or enamel to be strained on to this cloth 
and stir it with a putty knife or mixing paddle until it 
has passed through the cloth. 

Drawing the Ow for Dead Flat Finish.—In past years 
considerable white lead thinned only with turpentine 
has been used for mixing undercoats for white enamels, 
for painting woodwork in flat white and colors, and for 
painting interior walls. For some of this work the lead 
was first mixed with a little benzine and allowed to 
stand over night. In the morning it was found that 
the 8 per cent of linseed oil with which the lead paste 
was ground was extracted largely by the benzine and 
was floating on the top. All of the hquid was then . 
poured off and the lead was mixed with fresh turpentine 
and produced a dead flat paint. This practice is not 
much used today. 

Special preparations of zine and lithopone are now 
made for enamel undercoats and for flat finished walls. 
Also special liquids, called flatting oils, are mixed with 
a lead paste. When lead is not used for the walls one 
of the many brands of special flat wall paints on the 
market is used. 


QUANTITIES OF MATERIALS NEEDED 


Until you become rather experienced in the mixing 
of paint it is well to measure your quantities of white 
pigment, color pigment, oil, turpentine and drier. It 
is better to weigh your quantities than to use bulk 
measure. | 

A gallon of raw linseed oil weighs approximately 734 
pounds. 


118 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


A gallon of turpentine weighs approximately 634 
pounds. 

One hundred pounds of white lead bulks a little more 
than 234 gallons (2.85). 

One hundred pounds of zine oxide bulks 414 gallons. 

Ready-mixed paints weigh on an average about 14 
pounds per gallon. 

White lead paint weighs approximately 20 to 22 
pounds per gallon. 

Covering Capacity of Paint—One of the first ques- 
tions which arises in paint mixing is how large a quan- 
tity will be needed. The answer to that depends upon 
how much surface a gallon of paint will cover. 

Several elements enter into the answer to this ques- 
tion. One who is experienced in using a paint brush 
will usually spread a gallon of paint over 15 to 25 per 
cent more surface than a man with less experience, and 
the surface will be quite as well covered. When paint 
is spread thin it will, of course, cover more surface than 
when put on thickly. Paint brushed out thin is usually 
more durable and becomes dry more quickly. It is well 
to brush paint out as far as it will go and yet hide the 
surface well. 

When brushing white paint and light paints over dark 


surfaces the paint cannot be spread out as thin as when ~ 


being put onto a light-colored surface. Black and dark- 
colored paints can, by the same token, be spread out 
thinner and will be so spread as a matter of habit. 

A gallon of any paint will spread over fewer square 
feet of rough surface than of smooth surface, and, 
obviously, soft, porous wood will absorb more paint 
than hard, close-grained wood. 

There are differences in covering capacity between 
various brands of ready-mixed paints, and some differ- 
ence between brands of pure white lead as to covering 
and hiding ability. The differences in ready-mixed 





GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS ia 


paints are accounted for by differences in pigment com- 
binations, while with white lead brands differences may 
be due to varying proportions of carbonate and hydrate. 
Differences in hiding power of either class of paints 
may also be due to relative fineness or coarseness of the 
basic pigments. 

Per Gallon Coverage.—On an average surface it is 
probably safe to figure that a gallon of white paint or 
light tints will cover about 450 square feet of surface 
one coat. On new wood surfaces which are hard and 
well filled and after the priming coat has been applied, 
a gallon of high-class paint may cover as much as six 
or seven hundred square feet one coat. If, however, 
the priming coat was absorbed considerably, and if many 
porous spots appear without gloss, your gallon of paint 
will cover less. 

On old wood surfaces which are very dry and absorb- 
ent, a gallon of paint may not cover to exceed three or 
four hundred square feet one coat. 

When tinting colors are added to white paint, and 
when dark-colored paints, such as dark brown, grays 
and reds are used, the covering and hiding capacity of 
a gallon of paint may easily be doubled, depending upon 
how far the paint is brushed out. 

The covering and hiding capacity of paints used on 
metal surfaces is much greater than when used on wood. 
For instance, paint mixed from red lead and linseed oil 
and spread onto smooth, plain metal surfaces will cover 
in the neighborhood of 1800 square feet per gallon on 
the first coat. For the second and third coats, using the 
same kind of paint on the same surface but mixed a 
little thicker, about 1200 square feet per gallon, one 
coat, will be covered. When painting ordinary struc- 
tural steel, like bridges, a gallon of red lead paint will 
cover between 600 and 800 square feet on the first coat 
and from 500 to 700 square feet for succeeding coats. 


120 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Number of Gallons from a Mixing.—When figuring 
the amount of paint you will have by mixing certain 
quantities of white lead, zine oxide or color pigments, 
consult the following table of average bulking values. 
It is necessary simply to add together the number of 
gallons which your paint and color pigments bulk and 
the number of gallons of liquids which you use in 
mixing a batch of paint. 

For example, 100 pounds of white lead in paste form 
bulks approximately 2.85 gallons (a little more than 234 
gallons). Now, if you add to this 4 gallons of linseed 
oil, 1 gallon of turpentine and 1 pint of Japan drier, you 
will secure approximately 8 gallons of white paint; and 
if you add a considerable quantity of color pigments to 
make a dark shade of paint, you naturally increase the 
total quantity of paint mixed by just that amount and 
the extra liquids needed. Of course, in mixing the 
average light tint the quantity of tinting color pigment 
and drier added doesn’t bulk very much, and it is 
usually ignored in computing the number of gallons 
mixed. 

In mixing red lead paint for metal surfaces, painters 
usually use 33 pounds of dry red lead and 1 gallon of 
linseed oil. This mixture makes approximately 1.22 
gallons of paint. 

Red lead is marketed now in a stiff paste form similar 
to white lead and is more convenient to use that way. 
When mixing any heavy dry pigments like red lead and 
bronze paints it is necessary to stir the pot of paint 
every few minutes because the heavy pigments settle to 
the bottom and there is a tendency to use the thin paint 
from the top, only to find later that the paint in the 
bottom of the pot is too thick. 

With aluminum bronze paints in the proportion of 
about 144 to 2 pounds of dry powder to 1 gallon of 
heavy bodied boiled linseed oil, the covering capacity 





F 
. 
‘4 
} 





GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 121 


per gallon is approximately 600 to 900 square feet, one 
eoat, on a smooth, non-porous surface. For‘ exterior 
surfaces spar varnish is used to the extent of from 20 
to 60 per cent of the vehicle, the balance being boiled 
linseed oil. See Chapter VI for bronze liquids. 


AVERAGE “BULKING VALUES FOR 100 PouNpbs or PASTE 
CoLORS AND WuitE PIGMENTS 


Percentage ‘Percentage Bulking 


COLOR of pigment of oilin values in 
in ‘paste paste gallons 

Venetian Red (40% ged) 78 22 5.9 
Leis Phe i i 78 Dag AG 
CHES. Sis 70 30 6.8 
LER Saye RS ie oe 55 45 7.8 
TSC a 55 45 {i233 
yay LET CN 02) ot ae ae 54 46 8.3 
iphone (Shite ih 54 46 6 
Meta MiG OEOWN. os. <s.-. - 75 2 5.9 
ieirirs i Sia t’¢ pea 30 70 113 
Paieamarineg bine... .:.... 65 ay 7.8 
VST EC Chaiad 60 (cee ae 43 awh 10.1 
rons ACh .S. bse. ee ee. 20 80 6 
LEN eel en oe 50 a0 8.7 
C. P. Green (average)..... He 23 5.0 
(ar eieliow ‘(average).... 80 20 4.2 
20% Green (Barytes base).. 88 12 3.9 
20% Yellow (Barytes Base) 85 15 4.1 
10% Para Red (Lime and | 

patyies ase) a. 2 .6 a 82 18 6.0 
Uti e LET s Lae hs ae rr 94 6 Big les 
PeM TROON Ga pret haere tt o's h< vs oie 80 20 4.8 
Basic Sulphate White Lead. 91 9 2.86 
Basie Carbonate White Lead 92 8 2.85 
US bee Gis 82 18 4.05 


Tianum Pigment BXX... 80 20 4.6 


122 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Standard Formulas.—It is not possible to state an 
exact formula for mixing a gallon of paint which will 
be suitable for use on all kinds of surfaces, such as 
wood, plaster, brick, cement and metals. 

It is obvious that some surfaces are more porous and 
absorbent than others,—that when mixing paint to be 
spread on to such dry and porous woods as white pine, 
cedar shingles, poplar and fir, your paint will require 
a larger proportion of oil than when you are mixing 
paint to be spread upon well filled surfaces like yellow 
pine or cypress, both of which have pores that are 
saturated with resin or other oily substances. When 
mixing paint for the latter group of woods, and for 
all non-porous surfaces, more turpentine and less oil 
are needed. 

Another consideration which governs the proportions 
of oil and turpentine to be added to basie paint pig- 
ments, or color pigments, is that which concerns the 
amount of gloss wanted on the paint. For exterior 
surfaces, as a rule, the more gloss you can produce the 
better, which means that you want to use as large a 
proportion of oil as possible. 

When a semi-gloss or a dead fiat finish is wanted for 
interior painting, it may be secured by using less oil 
and more turpentine, or by using what are called flatting 
oils in place of linseed oil. The flatting oils are useful 
for interior surfaces only. 

The mixing formulas for white paint which follow at 
the end of this section give quantities of lead, oil, tur- 
pentine and drier needed for new and old exterior and 
interior surfaces. They are as accurate as they can be 
made for average conditions. The paint mixer must, 
however, size up the surface to be coated and mix his 
paint accordingly. 

The best way to determine whether your paint is 
mixed too thick or too thin, is to dip a brush into it 


A Aa tay 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 123 


and spread a little of the paint onto the surface to be 
eoated. If the surface is a very dark color, your paint 
must be mixed thicker, or stouter, than if you are paint- 
ing on top of a white or light-colored surface. Dark 
eolors may be mixed thinner and will ordinarily. be 
brushed out to a greater extent than white paints, and 
still they will hide the surface well. 

The condition of an old painted surface is a factor 
which will govern to some extent the amount of oil put 
into a new batch of paint to be used on such a surface. 
If the old paint is quite hard and the surface well filled, 
it will absorb less oil than if the old paint is chalking 
badly and, consequently, is quite porous. 

Other points which should be kept in mind about the 
quantities of oil and turpentine needed in paint mixing 
are that you will find some slight variations in the thin- 
ning qualities of the different brands of linseed oil, 
depending upon what manufacturers made it and from 
which of the world’s markets the flaxseed came. The 
white lead which has been mixed with part of the 
linseed oil a day or two before the final thinning will 
be found to absorb more oil than when freshly mixed. 
In other words, you may mix a batch of lead paint today 
and thin it down to what seems to be the correct brush- 
ing consistency, but if you allow it to stand a day or 
so it will be too thick and you must add more oil. 

Less turpentine than linseed gil is needed to thin 100 
pounds of white lead to brushing consistency. For 
instance, 100 pounds of white lead mixed for new out- 
side work will take up 3% to 4 gallons of linseed oil 
and 2 gallons of turpentine before it is thin enough for 
a dry and porous surface, while the same amount of 
lead will take up only about 214 or 3 gallons of tur- 
pentine to bring it to brushing consistency. 

In the mixing of paint your aim is to make it thin 
enough to brush out freely and into a smooth paint film, 


124 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


but not so thin that it will fail to hide the surface 
uniformly. 

In the mixing formulas which follow raw linseed oil 
is specified. When a brand of high-class boiled lin- 
seed oil can be secured it is better to substitute boiled 
oil for raw in all these formulas and eliminate the drier. 

Extra Drier Needed.—Under certain weather condi- 
tions—on cold, damp winter days and during hot, humid 
days in the middle of the summer—it is sometimes diffi- 
cult to mix your paint so that it will dry as rapidly as 
it should. During such weather additional Japan drier 
to the extent of about 14 to 14 pint should be added to 
100 pounds of lead when raw oil is used. It is not often 
necessary to add any drier to boiled linseed oil, but there 
are some extreme conditions where a little is needed. 

During difficult drying weather a little extra turpen- 
tine will accelerate the drying. | 

When using slow drying color pigments such as lamp- 
black, chrome yellow, chrome green and ordinary yellow 
ochre in considerable quantities to make dark-colored , 
paints additional turpentine and drier are needed. 


STANDARD FORMULAS FOR WHITE PAINT 
NEW OUTSIDE WOODWORK 
First Coat 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
4 gal. pure raw linseed oil 
1 gal. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier 
‘Makes about 734 gal. of paint 
Second. Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
114 gal. pure raw linseed oil 
11% gal. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier 
Makes about 6 gal. of paint 


C—O ee 


oF ty y 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 


. Third Coat 

100 Ibs. white lead 

314 to 4% gal. pure raw linseed oil 
1 pt. pure turpentine 

1 pt. Japan drier 

Makes 6% to 7% gal. of paint 


On the sea coast, where paint is subjected to salt air 
and hard, driving rains, some painters add from 10 to 


15 per cent of zine oxide to the last coat only. 


OLD OUTSIDE WOODWORK 


First Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
2 gal. pure raw linseed oil 
2 gal. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier 
Makes about 7 gal. of paint 


Second Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
3 gal. pure raw linseed oil 
14 gal. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier 
Makes about 614 gal. of paint 


Third Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
314 to 41% gal. pure raw linseed oil 
1 pt. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier 
Makes 614 to 714 gal. of paint 


For two-coat jobs simply omit the second coat above. 
On weatherbeaten and very dry surfaces use more oil 


and less turpentine in the first coat. 


126 


THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


NEW INSIDE WOODWORK 

First Coat 

100 lbs. pure white lead 

1 gal. pure linseed oil 

3 gal. pure turpentine 

1 pt. Japan drier 

Makes about 7 gal. of paint 
Second Coat 

100 Ibs. pure white lead 

114 gal. pure raw linseed oil 

114 gal. pure turpentine 

1 pt. Japan drier 

Makes about 6 gal. of paint 
Third Coat 


Same as Second Coat for Old Inside — 


Woodwork. 


OLD INSIDE WOODWORK 


First Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
1 gal. pure linseed oil 
2 gal. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier (if raw oil) 
Makes about 6 gal. of paint 
Second Coat—Oil Gloss 
100 pounds pure white lead 
3 to 314 gal. pure linseed oil 
1 pt. pure turpentine 
1 pt. Japan drier (if raw oil) 
Makes 6 to 614 gal. of paint 
Second Coat—Semi-F lat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
114 to 2 gal. pure turpentine 
34, gal. linseed oil 
4, pt. Japan drier 
Makes about 514 gal. of paint 


rg 


Se 
rah od 
’ 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 127 


Second Coat—F lat 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
214 gal. pure turpentine 
1, pt. Japan drier ° 
Makes about 51% gal. of paint 
Third Coat—F ull Gloss 
‘ 3 Ibs. pure white lead broken up smooth 
with turpentine 
1 gal. white mixing varnish 
Third Coat—Flat Finish 
100 Ibs. pure white lead from which 
the oil has been drawn, as described 
previously 
3 gal. pure turpentine 
Makes 534 gal. of paint 


Use of Zinc Oxide.—The use of half zine oxide ‘and 
half white lead for second and third coats makes a 
harder, finer-textured surface and one which is very 
white. Zine bulks more than lead and so a little more 
oil, turpentine or varnish thinner will be needed, depend- 


_ ing upon which coat is being mixed. More gallons of 


paint will result from the mix, also. 

Use of Flatting Ow.—In place of linseed oil, turpen- 
tine and mixing varnish, a flatting oil may be used 
with white lead and zine for flat and semi-gloss finishes. 
This paint is suitable for interior wood surfaces as well 
as for plaster and cement. 


First Coat 
Mix the same as previously specified 
for new or old wood, interior trim. 
Second or Finishing Coat—F lat 
100 lbs. of white lead 
2 to 3 gal. flatting oil 
Makes 434 to 534 gal. of paint 


128 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Finishing Coats—Semi-Gloss 
100 lbs. of white lead 
34 gal. light mixing varnish 
114 to 2 gal. flatting oil 
Makes from 5 to 514 gal. of paint 


Mixing White Paint for Dark Rooms.—When linseed 
oil mixed with white paint is placed away from strong 
daylight the paint will turn yellow. To avoid this with 
white paint and light tints, use flatting oil or use no 
linseed oil, aside from a very little in the first coat. 

For second and third coats, to dry semi-flat, on new 
or old interior surfaces, mix your paint in these pro- 
portions : 

100 lbs. of pure white lead 

114 to 214 gal. pure turpentine : 

34 gal. white mixing varnish or white 
enamel varnish 

14 pt. Japan drier 


Less turpentine and more varnish will give a gloss 
finish, 


EXTERIOR METAL WORK 


100 lbs. pure red lead (ground in ln- 
seed oil like white lead) 
114 gal. pure raw linseed oil 
34, gal. boiled linseed oil 
or 
100 lbs. pure dry red lead 
21/4, gal. pure raw linseed oil 
114 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 


Succeeding coats should be mixed the same as the 
above. If the bright color of red is objectionable, add 
a pound or two of lampblack ground in linseed oil and 
about 14 pint Japan drier. After one or two coats of 
red lead the finishing coats are sometimes mixed from 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 129 


white lead tinted to suit, as per formulas given for old 
outside wood surfaces. 

Metal surfaces to be painted should be washed down 
with benzine or hot water and sal soda to remove grease 
and dirt. Loose scales should be removed with steel 
wire brushes. On tin roofs the seams particularly need 
cleaning. Do not paint until the metal is dry. 

Before painting new galvanized iron a wash should 
be brushed on to cut the metal enough to permit anchor- 
age of the paint. The wash, which should be brushed 
on and allowed to dry, is to be a solution of 6 ounces of 
copper acetate in one gallon of water. 

Another suitable wash is made by mixing: 


1 quart of warm water 

14, ounce nitrate of copper 

14, ounce chloride of copper 

14 ounce sal ammoniac 

Mix above in a glass or earthen jar 
and then add 1% ounce of crude 
hydrochlorie acid. 


Apply the wash with an old flat brush. The white 
powder which forms when the solution becomes dry 
should be brushed off before painting. The metal will 
be black when this wash has been applied. 

The use of one of these washes before painting elimi- 
nates the likelihood of having the paint scale off. 

Galvanized iron which has been subjected to the 
weather a few months doesn’t need this wash. 


BRICK, STUCCO, CONCRETE SURFACES 


First Coat 
100 lbs. white lead 
4 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
1 gal. turpentine 
Makes about 734 gal. of paint 


130 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Second Coat 
100 lbs. white lead 
4 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
1 pint turpentine 
' Third Coat 
Same as for new outside woodwork. 
Flat and semi-flat finishes same as 
for old inside woodwork. 


Before painting new plaster or cement walls which 
have not been allowed to age more than 30 days, the 
eausticity of the surface should be neutralized, or it 
may burn out the life of the oil in spots. Active alkali 
spots will change the color of some paints, notably tints 
and shades mixed from chrome yellow. A wash com- 
posed of 4 pounds of zine sulphate erystals dissolved 
in 1 gallon of water should be brushed onto this surface. 
When the surface is dry brush off any loose particles 
with a broom before painting. 


NEW PLASTER WALLS 


If the walls have not stood for several weeks or 
months, and painting is to be done immediately, a wash 
should be brushed on to neutralize any hot lime spots 
which might burn the life out of oil or cause the paint 
to discolor. The wash should be mixed by dissolving 
about 4 pounds of sulphate of zine erystals in 1 gallon 
of water. When the surface is dry brush off any powder 
or dust that maybe loose on the surface. 


First Coat 
100 lbs. of pure white lead 
5 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
1 gal. pure turpentine 
Makes about 834 gal. of paint 








GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 131 


Size Coat 


~ In order to save coats of paint it is customary to seal 

up the surface with a size which should be placed on 
top of the first coat of paint and not on the bare wall. 
This is especially important where glue size is used. If 
glue size, or other water soluble size, is used on top of 
the plaster instead of between coats of paint, dampness 
in the walls later may cause the paint to scale off. 

It is not wise to seal up the pores of a plaster wall by 
placing on it immediately a size of gloss oil, hard oil, 
suction varnish or shellac, because this may make an 
unstable foundation. It may stand a while, but when 
the wall has been painted two or three times, scaling 
may result. Furthermore, should you want to cover 
the walls in.later years with canvas, or other wall fabrics, 
the fabric will pull off of the surface, bringing the coats 
of paint with it. When the first coat is oil paint you 
secure an anchorage in the surface which is very impor- 
tant. The directions for mixing size coats will be found 
immediately following this section. 


Second Coat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
11% gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
114 gal. pure turpentine 
Tinting colors 
Makes about 6 gal. of paint 


Finishing Coat—Flat 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
214 to 3 gal. pure turpentine 
Tinting colors 
Makes about 514 to 6 gal. of paint 


Finishing Coat—F lat 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
2 to 3 gal. of flatting oil 


132 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Finishing Cout—Semi-F lat 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
1% to 2 gal. pure turpentine 
34 gal. white enamel varnish, or 
1 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
Tinting colors 
Makes 5 to 51% gal. of paint 
Finishing Coat—Semi-F lat 
100 ibs. pure white lead 
3% gal. white enamel varnish 
114 to 2 gal. flatting oii 
Finishing Coat—dloss 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
314 to 414 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
1 pt. pure turpentine 
Tinting colors 
Makes 614 to 714 gal. of pairt. 


If the new wall has been covered wtk Ganvas. use 


’ the above formulas also. 


OLD PLASTER WALLS 


Mix your paint for old plaster walls, and canvas 
covered walls which have been painted before, the same 
as specified for new plaster walls, omitting the frst 
coat and the size coat. 


Glue Size 

The use of a glue size on top of the first coat of paint 
is quite a general practice. It stops suction of dry and 
porus spots. This is not a good practice, however. <An- 
other coat of paint makes a better foundation than glue 
size and costs very little more. 

When glue size is to be used it should never be mixed 
strong. <A strong solution of glue and water will cer- 
tainly cause paint to erack and scale off. In mixing 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 133 


the size soak first class glue in water for two or three 
hours; simply add enough water to submerge the glue. 

Next boil the glue and water, stirring it enough to 
prevent its sticking to the bottom of the pail. When 
the glue has come to a boil, add enough hot water to it 
to make it very thin. No exact proportions can be 
given, because different brands and grades of glue 
vary considerably in strength. The glue size should be 
just strong enough so that it will feel slightly sticky 
on your fingers after they have been dipped in and 
allowed to dry. It is much better to have your size 
too weak than too strong. 


Varnish Size 


A better size than that made from glue is mixed from 
first class interior varnish—coach or spar, thinned with 
turpentine and to which you add enough of the paint 
mixed for the finishing coat to offset the brown color 
of the varnish. 

This size should be very thin. It will stop the suction 
of the wall and serve, to some extent, as a covering or 
hiding coat. The varnish size should be spread on after 
the priming coat. It should not be mixed too rich or 
it will dry with a gloss. 

Varnish size should not be made from the cheaper 
suction, or ceiling varnishes, nor from gloss oil or hard 
oil. These products are simply mixtures of rosin and 
benzine, usually, and they do not make a satisfactory 
foundation for paint or canvas. 

Sizes containing gloss oil may remain soft and tacky 
for quite some time; they may disfigure the paint and 
sometimes the rosin works up through the paint and 
remains tacky. Wall paper, muslin, canvas and burlap 
eannot be made to adhere permanently to walls coated 
with gloss oil sizes. 

There are, however, some special brands of wall size 


134 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


prepared by manufacturers which have considerable 
merit and are satisfactory. 

Varnish sizes of any quality should not be used on 
sand-finished or rough-stucco walls. Glue, soap and 
sugar sizes are better for these surfaces. 

For wall board a first class varnish size is better than 
a glue size and, generally speaking, high class varnish 
size 1s to be preferred, because it not only stops suction 
and seals up the pores but also serves as a coat of size 
and a coat of paint together. Varnish size is water 
proof and, while it may be spread directly upon the 
plaster, it is really better to place it between coats of 
paint. | 


‘ 


Oil and Glue Size 


Hard finish and rough stucco interior walls are quite 
popular and probably always will be, because of their 
artistic merit. Such walls often have considerably more 
suction than smooth plaster walls. To seal up the suc- 
tion on such surfaces before painting a good size may 
be mixed as follows: 

A quantity of first class gelatine glue should be 
melted in hot water and brought to a boil. When the 
olue is about as thick as paint ready for the brush, add 
one gallon of raw linseed oil which has been previously 
made hot: <A little dry color may be added to the size 
to bring it around to approximately your finished color, 
being lighter preferably. 

Next cut up a bar of yellow laundry soap into thin 


slices and stir them into the hot glue and oil solution — 


until they are thoroughly disolved. This mixture can 
now be thinned with hot water to the right consistency 
for sizing. . 

The size should be a httle thinner than cold linseed 
oil and,. yet, somewhat thicker than glue size. It is 
better to brush this size onto the walls while it is 





GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 135 


warm. The walls should be first brushed down with 
a broom to remove loose sand. 

A size mixed in this manner is water proof and will 
stop the suction of a wall sufficiently to permit finish- 
ing with two coats of paint. This size should be put 
on to the plaster and not between coats. Oil and glue 
size is not suitable for smooth plaster walls. 


Sugar Size 

A wall which has been coated with gloss oil size and 
which is to be covered with canvas, muslin, burlap or 
wall paper must be given some preliminary treatment. 
The gloss oil size can be scrubbed off, using strong sal 
soda water, hot, but this is a slow and tedious process. 

The common practice is to give the wall or ceiling a 
coat of paint mixed largely with turpentine to dry flat 
and tinted to suit. When the paint is dry a coat of 
sugar size puts the surface in condition to be covered 
with fabrics or wall paper with reasonable assurance 
that the coverings will adhere to the surface. 

Sugar size is mixed by adding dark brown sugar to 
water. Just enough sugar is put into warm water to 
make the solution slightly sticky. The strength of the 
solution should be tested by dipping the fingers into 
it and allowing them to dry. On top of this the paste 
for wall paper or canvas will gain good anchorage. 


FORMULAS FOR WHITE ENAMEL 


100 Ibs. pure white lead 

3 to 4 gal. pure boiled linseed oil 
2 gal. pure turpentine 

Makes 734 to 834 gal. of paint. 


Allow at least twenty-four hours for drying; putty 
nail holes; sandpaper when the putty is dry and wipe 
off dust from the curface. 


136 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Second Coat 
100 Ibs. pure white lead 
114 to 2 gal. boiled linseed oil 
11% gal. turpentine 
Makes about 6 gal. of paint. 
Or the second coat may be mixed this way: 
100 lbs. pure white lead 
2 to 3 gal. of flatting oil 
The second coat is to be rubbed down smooth with 
fine sandpaper after it has been allowed to dry at least 
24 hours. Wipe the surface clean to remove dust. 


Third Coat 
50 Ibs. pure white lead 
50 Ibs. pure zine oxide 
3 to 344 gal. turpentine 
1 qt. white enamel 
Makes about 7 to 714 gal. of paint. 
Or, the third coat may be mixed this way: 
50 lbs. pure white lead 
50 lbs. pure zine oxide 
3 to 4 gal. of flatting oil 
Allow the third coat to dry twenty-four hours or 
longer. Sandpaper very lightly with fine paper or 
steel wool and wash up with a cloth dampened with 
benzine to remove dust. 


Fourth Coat 

First class prepared white enamel should be used as 
it comes to you in the manufacturer’s can, or thinned 
shghtly with 1 pint of turpentine per gallon of enamel. 
The turpentine should be well mixed into the enamel, 
using an absolutely clean paddle. The room should be 
warm and the enamel not colder than 70 degrees, for 
proper brushing qualities. At least 48 hours should 
be allowed for drying and a longer time is of con- 
siderable advantage. This coat should be rubbed very 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 137 


hghtly and evenly with No. 00 sandpaper, steel wool, 
or a wad of horse hair for rubbing will be sufficient 
if the surface is very clean and smooth. Wash up, being 
especially particular to make everything clean and 
ready for the final coat. 


Fifth Coat 


High class prepared enamel should be used for this 
coat, without thinning. It should be not colder than 70 
degrees temperature. Flow the enamel on with a full 
body, but being careful to lay it off so that there will 
be no runs, sags or wrinkles. It is better to brush it 
out too thin than to put it on too thick and to have it 
run and sag. You cannot spread enamel out like oil 
paint. It must be flowed on. Diligence and watch- 
fulness, as well as extreme care in brushing, are essen- 
tial. Once an area has been coated with enamel and the 
material laid off, you should not go back to it or you 
will cause a roughing or piling up of the material. 
Enamel will level itself and flow together, so there need 
be no worry about brush marks. 

The enamel used may be of the kind that drys with 
a full gloss or you can purchase what is called egg- 
shell gloss, or satin finish, enamel to give a semi-flat 
hand rubbed appearance. 

See Chapter XI for mixing colored enamels. 

Using Paint Brushes——The correct way to hold and 
use a paint or varnish brush depends somewhat upon 
the material being spread and upon the character of 
the surface. Nevertheless, the brush should be held in 
the hand so as to allow a free and easy wrist motion as 
well as good arm action. The brush should not be 
grasped tightly, rather a light firm hold upon it will 
best serve your purpose. Your fingers must, naturally, 
be used to brace and support your hold, but the fingers 
should not extend below the metal ferrule or leather 


138 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


strap with which the brush is bound. With the fingers 
held too low on the brush there is a tendency to exert 
more pressure on the center of the brush and will, 
therefore, wear into a shape which resembles a fish tail. 
High-class brushes are so constructed that the bristles 
are properly distributed, and when a brush gets out of 
shape and Wears more in one part than another, it is 
because the brush has been improperly used. 

One of the most common misuses of paint brushes 
oceurs with oval and round paint and varnish brushes. 
Unless a mechanic is careful he will allow the brush to 
turn in his hand in a eireular fashion more or less 
and that will wear the bristles so that the whole brush 
body will have a pointed shape. In that condition the 
brush is quite useless until the shape is trimmed or 
worn again so that all of the bristles are of the same 
length except a few on each side to give it a chisel 
shape, as some brushes are made. : 

In the case of flat wall brushes, the manner in which 
they are commonly injured is that of using a 4 or 414- 
inch brush to paint narrow strips of trim or other nar- 
row surfaces. When any except large flat surfaces are 
to be painted it is the part of wisdom to change brushes, 
using a small sash tool for the narrow surfaces. When 
a large fiat wall brush is used on narrow surfaces the 
corners of the bristles are soon worn off and then the 
brush is almost useless for any except rough work. 
When using any brush the tip or flag ends of the bristles 
are intended to do the work, the brush should not be 
inclined too much so as to force the sides of the bristles 
to do the work. Brushing with the sides of the bristles 
wears the outer layers until they are shorter than the 
center bristles. That is a bad shape for a brush. 

When a brush is properly used all of the bristles will 
wear down evenly, and when a brush gets into a bad 
shape it is evident that the mechanic using it has some 


Pa A 
se “eo = a 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 189 


bad habits which should be corrected. The appearance 
and shape of a brush is usually a pretty fair indication 
of the knowledge of the painter or decorator using it. 

One of the bad habits to be avoided in the use of any 
brush is that of poking a large brush at a corner or 
erack. Such a practice bends or turns over the flag 
ends of the bristles and soon makes the tool unfit for 
eareful work. A brush in this shape spatters more or 
less and, generally speaking, does sloppy work. In 
painting carved surfaces, grills and ornamental iron 
work it is well to get into the corners. 

High-elass brushes are well worth all they cost. 
Cheap, poorly made brushes cannot be depended upon 
to do good work and, furthermore, their life is short 
as a rule. It is only with a first-class brush that paint 
can be spread out and laid off smoothly and it is only 
with such brushes that clean sharp edges can be cut 
up close to moldings and on window sash bars. 

In the manufacture of high-class brushes an honest 
effort is made to remove loose hairs and dust, but even 
in the best of brushes both will sometimes be noted. A 
few loose hairs in a new brush do not indicate neces- 
sarily that the brush is not well made. It is wise to 
spend a few minutes cleaning up a new brush by pass- 
ing it over your fingers to remove loose bristles and 
dust and finally by washing it in benzine. Do not at- 
tempt to jar out loose bristles and dust by pounding 
the handle of the brush on a board; that will do serious 
injury. It is well to begin the use of new brushes on 
work which is not so particular and when they have 
been broken in well, use them for finishing coats. 

A new brush should be well worked into the paint, 
varnish or enamel by dipping it only deep enough to 
cover about half the length of the bristles. Then scrape 
the paint out on the mixing paddle and repeat this 
operation several times. 


140 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


When your brush is ready for use dip it into the 
paint, not more than about an inch on a four-inch 
‘brush, then slap it against the inside of the pot lightly 
and carry the brush to the surface to be coated. Do 
not dip the brush too deeply into the material, as noth- 
ing will be gained by it and you will thus avoid hav- 
ing the paint creep up on to the ferrule and handle. 
Every brush has a certain capacity for holding ma- 
terial, just as a sponge will hold only so much water. 
The bristles in a paint brush have little spurs at the 
bottom which are forked and which pick up and hold 
the paint. An overloaded brush really slows up rather 
than hastens a painting job. First-class brushes are 
made with these flagged-end bristles, which are distrib- 
uted back from the outer surface bristles, and some 
of the flagged-end bristles are longer than others, so 
that as the brush wears on the tip, new flagged-end 
bristles will come into use all during the life of the 
brush. There is much more to the construction and 
manufacture of good paint brushes than is apparent 
on the surface. For instance, if a brush is made with 
all the flagged-end bristles the same length it is a toppy, 
full-faced brush which would seem to have a great 
capacity for carrying paint, but as a matter of fact, 
this kind of a brush is a nuisance because it leaks paint 
badly when working on ceilings or high places. The 
bushy flagged-end bristles do pick up quite a quantity 
of paint, but as soon as the brush is raised overhead the 
paint runs down the smooth bristles, over the ferrule 
and down the handle, with much spattering as a result. 

After all, nothing but experience in the use of a 
brush will teach correct methods, but if the correct 
idea is held in mind, skill will come much more quickly. 
Paint is supposed to be brushed into the pores of the 
wood and laid off smoothly, but, on the other hand, if 


you ‘‘ride’’ the brush, as the painters call it, too much 


GENERAL PAINT MIXING METHODS 141 


energy will be spent and the brush will be injured. 
What you want to develop is a free and easy stroke with 
an even pressure alone the wrist to do most of the 
work. The paint should be roughly spread on to the 
surface first and then brushed out the length-—not 
across the grain of the wood. Then it should be gone 
over with a few light quick strokes to lay it off evenly 
and to pick up any runs of excess paint. Excess paint 
or fat edges around corners, moldings and edges of 
boards are particularly to be brushed out evenly. 

The brushing of varnish, shellac, enamel and flat wall 
paint requires quite different action than is needed for 
brushing out paint. In the case of paint, you have a 
rather thin easy-working material which can be brushed 
and rebrushed almost indefinitely when most of the 
liquid part of. the paint is oil. When a large propor- 
tion of the paint liquid is turpentine the paint is 
‘“‘short;’’ that is, you cannot stretch the paint film so 
far. If you brush it too long the film will rough up 
and the pigment will pile up, leaving brush marks and 
rough places. In the case of brushing varnish, enam- 
els, shellac and flat wall paints, the brushing must be 
done with a minimum of strokes. In using these latter 
materials a brush full of paint is to spread upon a 
small area, often only about one square foot at a time, 
and then you must lay it off and smooth up quickly. 
Once this has been done the brush should not be again 
put upon this finished area. These materials set rather 
quickly and when you go back to them after once fin- 
ishing you lift and rough-up their surface. Brush 
marks might appear immediately after you lay-off such 
a surface, but these brush marks will disappear of their 
own accord. 


CHAPTER IX 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 


Much that has been written about color theory leayes _ 
one in a confused state of mind. This occurs, probably, 
because after a consideration of what constitutes color 
—light ray reflections, the spectrum and the chromatic 
circle, the relation between the pure spectrum light ray 
colors and the color pigments used in painting and 
decorating is not explained. 

Good theory will practice. Color theory is capable 

of being used in everyday work, once this missing link 
between color theory and color use is understood. 
~ Color has been described in Chapter I as the prop- 
erty of light rays which causes visual action on the 
retina of the eye; the reflection of hght rays and their 
effect on the eye. 

The white light rays of the sun are composed of 
many colored light rays. Also the white rays of the 
sun contain the ultra-violet rays used by the medical 
profession today and they are invisible. 

Sir Isaac Newton discovered that the color of any 
substance is due to the light which falls upon it. By 
removing the source of light any substance loses its 
color identity; as when a red painted board is taken 
into a dark room. Altering a light which falls upon 
an object changes its color—passing white light through 
a yellow glass, for example, and holding a blue object 
in the transmitted light, the blue surface appears green. 

When white light, daylight, passes through a glass 

142 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 143 


prism, we find by placing the prism at a certain angle 
that the reflected or transmitted light is split up into 
bands of several colors. These are called violet, blue, 














red 


~S 
— orange-red 
= orange 

fd 1, orange-yellow 


yellow 
green-yellow 


violet- blue 
violet 


Small hole : 
violet-red 


in wall 


White light rays separated into colored light rays by a glass 
prism and projected upon a wall in a dark room 





Spectrum light ray colors reflected back into a straight line of 
white light by a second prism 


Plate 7.—Sir Isaac Newton’s Experiment demonstrating that 
white light is composed of colored light rays 
Chromatic Circle 


ereen, yellow, orange, red. Plate 7 illustrates Sir Isaac 
Newton’s experiment. 7 

If, by means of a second prism, we gather the various 
colors together and reflect them back into a straight 
line, then we have again a projection of white light. 


144 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


In consequence of this peculiarity, when a white light 
falls on any substance it is either entirely or partially 
reflected or entirely or partially submerged or absorbed. - 

Surfaces which reflect all of the sun’s light rays 
appear white. 

Surfaces which reflect none of the sun’s rays appear 
black. 

It is reflected light rays which give a surface its 
eolor. A surface which absorbs yellow and blue rays 
appears red because it reflects red rays. If some of 
the yellow rays are reflected with the red rays the sur- 
face will be orange; if some of the blue rays are reflected 
with the red rays the surface will be violet or purple. 

No surface reflects only one color of ight rays. For 
that reason no pigment paint colors are as pure as the 
light ray colors seen in the spectrum. 


COLOR PIGMENTS TO MATCH SPECTRUM COLORS 


But since we cannot paint with hight rays a question 
arises as to which of the color pigments available to 
painters and decorators for commercial work most nearly 
represent the pure colors shown in the spectrum of 
the rainbow and the same spectrum seen in a glass 
prism. 

There are no color pigments which match perfectly 
the pure light ray colors of the spectrum. That may 
account for the discrepancies between color theory and 
color mixing. 

We have, however, ample color pigments which are 
near enough to pure light colors to make it practical 
and wise, indeed, for painters, decorators and all who 
work with color to study and become proficient in color 
theory. 

Pure Red Spectrum Light Rays.—The red color pig- 
ment which is nearest to this is American vermilion. 


COBOR> THEORY, PRINCIPLES: AND USI 145 


Its slight imperfection comes from the fact that it pos- 
sesses a bluish hue. English, French and Chinese ver- 
milions are slightly too yellowish in hue and are more 
expensive. 

Searlet vermilion is another red pigment which ap- 
proaches pure spectrum red lght rays, but it is even 
more yellowish than English vermilion. 

Crimson lake pigment is near the pure spectrum 
red. It is imperfect because it has a bluish hue. 

Indian red color pigment is not so near the spectrum 
red because it is too dull in tone and has even a more 
pronounced bluish hue than crimson lake. 

Venetian red is both too dull and too bluish in hue 
to match pure spectrum red. 

Pure Blue Spectrum Light Rays.—Prussian blue is a 
color pigment which is a near match to spectrum blue. 
It is not a perfect match, owing to its greenish hue. 

A pure toned cobalt blue is quite the nearest match 
for and most representative of spectrum blue; but it, 
too, may have a greenish hue or a reddish hue, depend- 
ing upon how it is manufactured. 

Ultramarine blue is not so good a representative for 
the spectrum blue because of its reddish hue. 

Pure Yellow Spectrum Inght Rays.—A color pigment 
which nearly matches the pure spectrum yellow is light 
chrome yellow. Its imperfection is due to its slightly 
greenish hue. ” . 

Lemon chrome yellow pigment is near pure spectrum 
yellow but it has too much of a greenish hue. 

Medium chrome yellow is the best color pigment rep- 
resentative for the spectrum yellow. It has a reddish 
hue which constitutes its imperfection as a perfect match. 

Orange chrome yellow is a color pigment which is too 
reddish in hue to match pure spectrum yellow. It is 
too yellowish in hue to match pure spectrum red. 


146 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Primary Colors 

These are red, blue and yellow and are best repre- 
sented in pigments by American vermilion, cobalt blue 
and medium chrome yellow. Primary colors are the 
principal colors into which white light rays are sepa- 
rated by a prism, the dominant colors seen in the spec- 
trum of the sun in the rainbow. 

The primary colors red, blue and yellow cannot be 
made from mixtures of other color pigments. 

From combinations of the primary colors, and with 
the addition of black and white to make shades and 
tints, nearly all colors can be mixed using color pig- 
ments. 

White is the absence of all color, while black is pro- 
duced when the three primary colors—red, blue and 
yellow pigments—are mixed together. 

A difference between color theory and color mixing 
practice is the fact that when the primary colors in 
light rays are fused together white light is the result 
(as proved by Sir Isaac Newton’s experiment). While 
in the fusion of color pigments the primary colors red, 
blue and yellow mixed together produce black, or very 
dark blackish-green. 


Secondary Colors 

When two primary colors are mixed together the color 
thus produced is a secondary color: 

Red and blue mixed together make purple, or violet. 

Blue and yellow mixed together make green. 

Yellow and red mixed together make orange. 

Study the color card chart to learn how this works 
out. 


Tertiary Colors 
When two secondary colors are mixed together the 
color resulting is a tertiary color: 
Purple mixed with green makes olive. 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 147 


Green mixed with orange makes citrine. 

Orange mixed with purple makes russet. 

Examine the color card chart in this chapter to note 
this result. 


Complementary Colors 


These are the colors which show the greatest con- 
trast with the secondary colors. They are their oppo- 
sites in colors. 

When two primary colors are mixed together the 
result is a secondary color; then the third primary color 
not used in mixing this secondary becomes the comple- 
ment, or perfect contrast, to the secondary color. 

Consequently, when red and blue are mixed to pro- 
duce purple, yellow being absent from the mixture be- 
comes ‘the complementary color of purple. 

Likewise, when blue and yellow are mixed to pro- 
duce green, red is not used in the mixing; red is the 
complementary color and perfect contrast for green. 

Yellow and red primary colors are mixed to produce 
orange; blue is not used in the mixture and so it becomes 
the perfect contrast for orange. 

By the same mathematical progression olive becomes 
the perfect contrast for and complementary to orange; 
citrine becomes complementary to purple; russet becomes 
complementary to green. 

White is the exact opposite and the perfect contrast 
for black. 

The use of opposite colors, contrasting aaeiee meee 
colors, is one of the most simple and certain ways to 
produce color harmony. 

Some of these colors are much stronger, more intense, 
than others and consequently equal areas of contrast- 
ing colors should not be used. Small areas of the 
stronger colors will balance large areas of the less intense 
colors. 


148 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Each of the complementary colors, when placed along 
side of its opposite complementary, intensifies the other ; 
—red seems redder and green seems greener along side 
pf each other. The same increased intensity is notice- 
able as between purple and yellow as well as between 
orange and blue and other complementary colors. 

Color harmony by contrast is well illustrated, there- 
fore, by this tabulation: 


COMPLEMENTARY 
COLORS MIXED COLORS COLORS PERFECT 
TOGETHER RESULTING CONTRASTS 
red anc blue purple purple and yellow 
blue and yellow ereen green and red 
yellow and red orange orange and blue 
purple and green olive olive and orange 
sreen and orange citrine citrine and purple 
orange and purple russet russet and green 


There is only one green that is complementary to 
any one red; there is only-one yellow that is the direct 
complement of a given violet; there is only one blue 
that is the perfect complementary contrast of a par- 
ticular orange. Now, we should not go so far as to say 
that a color of slightly different hue will look badly, 
but it will not be in perfect harmony unless it is the 
color which is in the exact contrast relation. 

The green which is the perfect contrast for red (Eng- 
lish vermilion) is a bluish-green; the perfect contrast 
for greenish-blue (Prussian) is a yellow-red orange; the 
perfect contrast for yellow (light chrome yellow) is a 
purplish-blue. 

One way to prove a complementary color is by the 
after image in one’s eyes. If you will look steadily at 
a spot of any intense color on a white surface for a 
minute or two, the image of that color will be fixed in 
your eyes; then, without shifting the eyes from that 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 149 


color spot, cover the color with a piece of white paper. 
The complementary color of that color will appear on 
the white paper as an after-image. 

Selection of the perfect contrast for any color is sim- 
ple. The chromatic circle shown in Plate 8 is an ar- 
rangement of the spectrum colors. The complemen- 
tary or perfect contrast for any color is that color which 
is immediately opposite in this chromatic circle. 

The color which is in perfect harmony by contrast 
for violet-red is yellow-green; the perfect contrast for 
violet-blue is orange-yellow; the perfect contrast for 
greenish-blue is red-orange. 

And to neutralize one of these colors you would add 
a touch of the other, its complementary. If a color and 
its complementary color are mixed together in about 
equal proportions a black will result, or at least a very 
dark gray-green, depending upon the purity and 
strength of the colors. 


COLOR TERMS 


A Tint.—A degree of color resulting from the addi- 
tion of white to a principal color; a more luminous 
and lighter color. A lighter tint of blue, for example. 

A Shade.—A degree of color resulting from the addi- 
tion of darker color or black to a principal color. A 
darker shade of green, for example. When two colors 
have the same hue, but one being darker than the other, 
the darker color is a shade of the lighter color. 

Hue.—tThe quality of a color which distinguishes it 
from all other colors. It is the slight change made in 
a color by the addition of a small quantity of another 
color. <A blue like ultra-marine has a reddish hue; 
while Prussian blue has a greenish hue. The original 
color in a mixing predominates still, the color added 
to it simply influences it to a small degree,—that small 
degree is the hue. 


150 


THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 







orange-yello 


Plate 8.—Chromatic Circle 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE tegLok 


Bright red 
light ray color 
of the spectrum 















“pas wnsj2ads ayy yew 
The nearest pigment match ol euna petiog oa. 
for spectrum yellow, but 
t 


°o 
oc veddich in hue. 













2 
— 
) 
> 





Medium Chrome 


_ Bright yellow 
light ray. color 
of the spectrum 


Bright blue 
light ray color 
of the spectrum 


Plate 8.—Color Pigments to Match Spectrum Colors 


152 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Dominant Hue.—The hue which is most conspicuous 
In any color. 

Tone.—The brightness or luminosity of a color. A 
color is lighter or darker in tone according to the amount 
of light reflected. 

Pure Colors——Those having the least amount of white 
or black in them. White tends to neutralize, subdue 
and sadden colors. 

It is interesting to note that the spectrum fails to 
eonnect violet and red by several intermediate hues as 
it connects other colors. A series of red-violets and 
violet-reds are needed to complete a color circle which 
is continuous. 

In this circle the change of hue is gradual from red 
through orange-red and red-orange to orange; then 
from orange through yellow-orange and orange-yellow 
to yellow; and from yellow through green-yellow and 
yellow-green to green; thence from green through blue- 
ereen and green-blue to blue; from blue through violet- 
blue and blue-violet to violet; and finally from violet 
through red-violet and violet-red,—the point of begin- 
ning the color circle. 


EXPLANATION OF COLOR CARD CHART 


The color cards in this chapter are included to illus- 
trate how the science of hght ray color reflections proves 
practical and useful as applied to color pigments. 

The pigment colors used in this mixing experiment 
were from one of the best lines on the market and are 
those in common use by painters, decorators and artists. 

A study of these color cards, at the same time com- 
paring them with the light ray colors projected by a 
glass prism, will make evident the discrepancies between 
the fusion of colored light rays in the spectrum and 
the mixing of color pigments. These differences exist 
because man has not yet discovered, or manufatured, 


= 


Primary Secondary Tertiary Complementary 


Perfect Contrasts 
With Secondary 
Colors 





Red-American Vermilion 







Red and Blue 
mixed together 
make 


Perfect Contrasts 





—P> 











Purple or Violet 


Purple and Green 
mixed together 
make —— 





Pitt 
3 


— Olive 
Blue-Cobalt 


Blue and Yellow 
mixed together 
make 


Perfect Contrasts 





> 





Green 


Green and Orange 
mixed together 
make —.. > 








Aiport ge p Citrine 
Yellow-Medium Chrome 
Yellow and Red Perfect Contrasts 
mixed together 4 
make > 
Blue 
Orange and Purple 


mixed together 
make ——————» 


Russet 13 4 





COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 153 


eolor pigments of the same purity and which match 
perfectly the colored light rays seen in the spectrum. 
Right here in such a study the possession of a small 
glass prism to project a spectrum of color rays from 
the sun’s white rays is well worth the seventy-five cents 
it will cost you. (Plate 9.) 

These discrepancies between color theory and color 
mixing are not confusing after one learns the charac- 
teristic hues of all the common color pigments; for in- 
stance, that American vermilion, crimson lake and In- 
dian red all have a bluish hue; while scarlet vermilion, 
Knelish, French and Chinese vermilions and orange 





Plate 9.—Glass Equilateral Prism 


ehrome all have yellowish hues; that Prussian blue has 
a greenish hue, while ultra-marine blue has a reddish 
hue; that light or lemon chrome yellow has a greenish 
hue while medium chrome yellow has a reddish hue. 

Knowing these hues you naturally select a yellow 
with a greenish hue and a blue with a greenish hue > 
for mixing bright, vivid greens; hkewise, when mixing 
purples and violets you chose a reddish blue (ultra. 
marine) and a bluish red (American vermilion) ; and 
to mix the most brilliant orange color the brightest 
yellow-red (scarlet vermilion) with a yellow having a 
reddish hue like medium or orange chrome yellow. 

In careless mixing you have illustrations of the prin- 
ciple of neutralization. To neutralize a color you add 
white cr some other color, preferably its opposite or 


154 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


perfect contrast. So, you neutralize and mix a dull, 
subdued green when you select instead of greenish yel- 
low (lemon) a reddish yellow (medium chrome); and 
instead of a greenish blue (Prussian) a reddish blue 
like ultramarine. The reddish hue of the medium 
chrome yellow and of the ultramarine blue are opposite 
to the bright green you want to mix and these reddish 
hues neutralize and dull the green. 

Mixing Purple and Violet.—To illustrate these dis- 
crepancies further examine the purple color card. This 
color resulted from mixing American vermilion with 
cobalt blue. It is not a bright, vivid purple because 
neither the red or the blue from which it is made are 
perfect matches for red and blue spectrum light ray 
colors. 

If white is mixed with this purple to make a lighter 
purple, the tint resulting will be lighter (violet) but 
the white will neutralize or gray it. A lighter purple 
ean be secured by first painting a surface white and 
then spreading a thin glaze coat of the purple over it. 

A purple or violet which is not so dark can be mixed 
from English vermilion and ultramarine blue. If crim- 
son lake and ultramarine blue are mixed together a 
purple results which is quite as dark and which will 
have a bluer hue. If white is mixed with either of these 
purples to make a lighter color very interesting purple 


and violet tints result, but they, too, will be neutralized 


or grayed off by the white. 

Mixing Greens —The green resulting from the mixing 
of cobalt blue and medium chrome yelow in this experi- 
ment is not so bright and attractive as the green most 
prominent in the spectrum. The most brilliant greens 
can be matched by mixing Prussian blue with light or 
lemon chrome yellow or zine yellow; that is, by mix- 
ing a greenish blue with a greenish yellow. 

Medium chrome yellow was selected by the author to 


COLOR THEORY, PRINCIPLES AND USE 155 


represent the spectrum yellow because it makes better 
orange colors. Lemon chrome yellow and American 
vermilion mixed together produce a dull terra cotta 
red—not a bright orange. 


THE NEW COLOR THEORY 


Color theory as it particularly refers to spectrum 
light ray colors has not been dealt with to any extent 
in this work because it has not been the intention to 
present advanced considerations in the science of color. 

The old school of color scientists, notably Newton 
and Brewster along with others, considered the primary 
colors to be red, blue and yellow, the secondary colors 
to be purple, green and orange. According to their 
theory green is the complementary or the perfect con- 
trast for red, orange is complementary to blue and 
purple is complementary to yellow. The average per- 
son has learned color theory in this manner and the 
mixing of color pigments in the arts and crafts and 
commercial fields has proceeded on this basis. 

The color scientists of today, and particularly Mun- 
sell, do not accept red, blue and yellow as the primary 
eolors. Their experiments with light ray colors sepa- 
rated from sunlight by the spectrum prove that the 
primary colors are red, green and violet-blue. In this 
modern theory the complementary color of red is blue- 
green, the complementary color of green is red-purple 
and the complementary color of violet-blue is yellow. 

According to the modern theory green is not produced 
by the mixture of yellow and blue light rays as it is 
produced when mixing pigments; green is a funda- 
mental primary color which cannot be produced by mix: 
ing any other light ray colors. 

On the other hand, yellow, according to this theory, 
is not a primary color but is caused by the mixture 
of red and green light rays. 


156 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


In this new theory the yellow-reds, yellows and green- 
yellows can be produced by mixing certain proportions 
of red and green light rays. The blue-greens, blues 
and purple-blues can be produced by the mixing of 
green and violet light rays. Purple-blue, purple and 
red-purple can be produced by the mixing of violet 
and red light rays. 

In other words, according to the modern theory, 
there are no mixtures of light rays which will produce 
red, green and violet-blues and these are, therefore, the 
primary colors. From these three all other light ray 
colors are produced by mixing. 

Within the scope of this book it is not wise to include 
the whole theory of light ray spectrum color mixtures 
and a consideration of the physics of color. For those 
who wish to pursue the study of color at length time 
ean profitably be spent in the study of the Munsell 
theory as well as other modern views which have been 
adopted as working principles in the printing ink 
industry. 


CHAPTER X 
COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 


Art in decorating is based upon the ability of a crafts- 
man to mix color hues, tints and shades from principal 
tinting colors exactly to suit the needs of his problem. 
Nothing short of study, diligent pursuit of the subject, 
and experience will develop masterful skill in color 
mixing. And after acquiring such skill the craftsman 
must then forget, as a mere tool, as a means to an end, 
his knowledge of the technicalities of mixing colors and 
apply himself whole-heartedly to expression of beauty 
in color use. 

The mixing and matching of colors comes naturally 
enough to some, but others can become accomplished by 
a study of color principles most of which are simple. 

Adding the Colors.—For* mixing light tints and 
moderately dark shades of paints, the white paint mix- 
ing formulas in Chapter VIII are useful. To the white 
paint made by these formulas you simply add enough 
tinting colors (ground in oil) to produce the tints or 
shades wanted. 

Tinting colors should be mixed with a little turpen- 
tine or linseed oil in a separate pot and strained before 
they are added to the white paint. The color should be 
mixed into the white paint only a little at a time and 
should be thoroughly stirred to take their full effect 
before you decide that more color is needed. If too 
much color is added it will take a considerable amount 
of additional white paint to make the color ight enough 

157 


158 THE, MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


again. If your mixing is not thorough the paint will 
show dark streaks on the surface when brushed out. 

It is well to test your batch of paint for color by 
brushing it out on a board and then noting whether it 
is too light or too dark to match the sample you are 
working to. The color in the pot always looks darker 
than when brushed out on a flat surface. 

Dry tinting colors such as are used for tinting ealci- 
mine and putty are not to be used for tinting paint. 
If added to liquid paint, dry colors do not readily 
become assimilated and they may make the paint lumpy 
or gritty. 

If dry colors must be used in an emergency, they 
should first be mixed with oil and thoroughly knifed 
out on a slab to incorporate the oil before adding any 
eolor to the paint. Even with such precautions, paint 
tinted with dry colors must be strained with unusual 
care, and there will be more or less waste. 

Dark Colored Paints.—In mixing very dark colored 
paints such as chocolate brown, dark reds, greens and 
blues, little or no white lead or zine are used. When 
only small amounts of these colors are needed, the most 
convenient way to mix them is by using the regular color 
pigments made for tinting white paint, but when a 
number of gallons of dark paint are needed it is more 
economical to purchase such colors in the form of ready- 
mixed paint. 

High-grade tinting colors are necessarily stronger in 
tinting quality than dark colored prepared paints which 
are not made for tinting purposes. If you use tinting 
colors in quantities, you are therefore wasting this 
strength to no purpose. Paint manufacturers are able . 
to mix the dark colors in a less expensive way, and it 
is cheaper to use these when quantities are wanted. 
Manufacturers use for this purpose chemically pure 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 159 


tinting colors with less expensive basic pigments which 
are not commonly available for painters’ use. 

It has been suggested by some of the older generation 
of decorators that students of color mixing should make 
up samples and keep a ecard record of various tints and 
shades made from tinting colors. Granted that this is 
valuable practice in mixing and is worth while for that 
reason. There is not, however, much likelihood that such 
a card index would be referred to or be handy when 
and where wanted under present working methods, 
which require the decorators to work away from the 
shop most of the time. 

The important thing is for the students to do enough 
practice mixing with each of the principal tinting colors 
mixed with white and black bases and with each of 
several other principal tinting colors to become thor- 
oughly familiar with the tinting strength and charac- 
teristics of each of the principal tinting colors. When 
such a study has been made the student soon acquires 
the ability to analyze a color sample easily when viewed 
in good light and to judge it accurately as to the color 
used in mixing such a sample. Such an analysis and 
remembering the characteristics of each of the principal 
tinting colors enable one quickly to duplicate a color 
sample. ; 

Study, experiment and practice in mixing tints and 
shades from principal colors soon teach the student 
such important facts about color harmony as are set 
down in the pages which follow. 

Experimental Mixing—The theory of color mixing 
has now been presented sufficiently to enable the student 
to learn more quickly by actual practice work with 
colors than by continued study of principles. To pre- 
sent adequately the broad field of the influence of color 
and color mixing in their many phases requires the effort 


160 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


of a lifetime. The subtle influence of color and light 
in decoration and the principles involved constitute a 
science which will take the best efforts of any man for 
many years before mastery will have been acquired.  , 
To make a beginning with experimental practice mix- 
ing where the student has not the available facilities of 
a first-class paint shop and its mixing bench, the follow- 
ing materials should be purchased. Diligent and careful 
use of them will soon make one proficient in mixing : — 


Seales, druggist type Orange chrome yellow 

Glass graduate measure Yellow ochre 

Pots, cans or paper drink- White lead (or flake white) 
ing cups Zine oxide 

Mixing paddles Raw sienna 

Palette knife Burnt sienna 

Putty knife Vandyke brown 

Strainers Medium chrome green 

Glass mixing slabs American vermilion 

Lampblack Tusean red 

Prussian blue Indian red 

Cobalt blue Linseed oil 

Ultramarine Turpentine 

Raw umber Japan drier 

Burnt umber Benzine 

Venetian red Wiping rags 

Light chrome yellow Wallboard panels 

Medium chrome yellow Small flat brushes 


(Above eolors to be ground in oil) 


There are many other colors which should be experi- 
mented with, but the above are the principal tinting 
colors used in mixing exterior paints. For a complete 
list of tinting colors see Chapter IV. 

With these materials on hand, proceed to mix up 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 161 


very small amounts of color by placing on the glass 
mixing slab a bit of color paste—not more than the 
size of a pea to begin with. 

In mixing little gobs of these paste cclors on the plate 
olass slabs the palette knife is used. Then to note the 
transparency or opacity of the colors when spread out 
into thin coats, as will be done when paints are brushed 
on, just dip your finger into the paste and carry the 
paint to a piece of white cardboard or a surface painted 
white. By daubing the paint on and rubbing it out 
thin with your finger, you will gain a good idea of the 
hiding qualities or the transparency of colors. See 
Plate 10. 





Plate 10.—Method of Examining Color Sample 


Test out the mixing of secondary and tertiary colors 
as given in the color chart. Red and yellow make 
orange, so start with a bit of vermilion and add to it 
a bit of medium chrome yellow. You will note that the 
orange is brilliant. Then if you will mix a-bit of dull 
red, like Venetian red, with medium chrome yellow or 
even with the light chrome yellow, you will see that 
rather a dull orange results. 

In this same manner proceed to test out the theory 
that yellow and blue produce green. Take notice that 
the brightest green comes from the mixing of light 
chrome yellow and Prussian blue. Next try mixing 
other yellows and blues and note the result. 

The next principle taker from the spectrum chromatic 
seale is that blue and red produce purple. Mix a bit of 
American vermilion with ultramarine blue and you have 
a bright, vivid purple. Next try mixing a dull red, such 


162 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


as Venetian red, with a greenish blue like Prussian, and 
you have produced a dull purple which is not nearly so 
interesting. 

Continue this series of mixing to prove that a mixing 
of orange and green results in citrine; that green and 
purple make olive; that purple and orange produce 
russet. . 

When these practice mixings have been made and 
the findings clearly noted in your mind, another series 
of mixing might be made to advantage in this way. Take 
each one of the tinting colors and add a very small 
amount of white; then add more white and, later, still 
more, to note the various tints produced. 

Next follow the same procedure exactly, but add black 
to the color, a little bit at a time, to see the shades of 
that color which result. 

To continue the practice mixing after the above series 
have been completed and learned, begin a series of 
mixines which will include mixing two of the primary 
_ ecolors—say, red and _ blue—adding gradually small 
amounts of white and noting the tints which result. 

In the next series do the same thing, but add black to 
the two primary colors. 

In the next series follow the same method with blue 
and yellow for the mixings, first with black and then 
with white. 

For the next series proceed in the same way, using 
red and yellow primary colors and adding first black 
and next white, noting the many tints and shades 
resulting. 

From this indication of practice work worth while 
vou can readily multiply these series almost indefinitely. 
Make different combinations of primary colors in groups 
of one, two and three with black separately and white 
separately, then with black and white together. 

Choice of Tinting Colors——After one has experimented 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 163 


and practiced mixing and matching colors, using the 
primary red, blue and yellow, the inference which is 
apt to be made is that all colors should be mixed from 
the primary colors. In theory this is true, but it would 
be expensive in some instances. 

In actual practice nearly any given color can be 
matched by the use of any one of several formulas. As 
experience is acquired this fact is particularly impres- 
sive. A color sample might be given to several expe- 
rienced painters and decorators, with the request that 
they mix paint to match it, and it is quite possible that 
no two of them would follow exactly the same method 
in mixing and matching. Some of them would use 
different tinting colors than were employed by the 
others. With these facts in mind, it is well to remem- 
ber that the most simple mixture which will match the 
sample is usually the best. 

Other factors enter into your selection of tinting 
colors. One of the most important is to keep in mind 
the tinting colors which are most permanent in strong 
light and which have no adverse chemical reactions. 
Note the list of permanent and fugitive colors in Chap- 
ter III. As an illustration of this point ;—better judg- 
ment will be shown by mixing cream color, especially 
for outside paint, with raw sienna than with medium 
ehrome yellow. Sienna is an earth pigment of great 
permanence to light and is generally very stable. Chrome 
yellow is a chemical color which is less permanent in 
strong light. Chrome yellow is a valuable color and we 
have no other bright yellows which possess the same 
merit. When it comes to mixing bright, light yellow 
tints, raw sienna is too dull in color. 

When mixing tints and shades following the prin- 
ciples of color theory, it is well to keep in mind that 
these principles call for the use of bright, clear colors 
of good tinting strength. A color may be bright in 


: 
164 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


itself and yet may have been extended with inert pig- 
ments to the point where it retains little tinting strength. 
Then, again, the use of dull colors will not often give 
you the result wanted. 

Probably the disappointment most often met with is 
in the mixing of purple and violet shades. For instance, 
color theory tells us that when you mix red and blue 
together the resulting color is purple or violet. This is 
true only when a clear, bright red of good tinting 
strength, like vermilion, is mixed with a clear, bright 
blue, like Prussian blue. Mixing these two colors will 
result in purple, but if you mix a dull Venetian red 
with blue, you will likely produce a dull, drab, muddy 
color, not purple. 

And, again, when mixing a brighter, richer purple, 
using red and blue, it is even better to use a red which 
has a bluish hue, like crimson, than a red with a yellow- 
ish hue, like searlet. The blue, then, should have a 
reddish hue like ultramarine bine not a creer e hue 
like Prussian blue. 

A bright orange color is likewise mixed from reds 
having a yellowish hue like vermilion and scarlet. The 
yellow must have a reddish hue like medium chrome and 
orange chrome yellows. Lemon chrome yellow with its 
greenish hue is not so good, although orange lacking 
some brightness may be made with it. 

The point to remember about these mixing facts is 
that should either of two tinting colors have a hug oppo- 
site to the third color you wish to mix, that third color 
will lack brilliance. The opposite hue tends to neutralize 
the mixture. . 

In the same way you cannot mix a bright green by 
using a dull yellow ochre with blue,—a bright, clear blue 
and a strong yellow will give you a bright green. 

To mix a pure vivid green from blue and yellow, the 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 165 


blue must be one with a greenish hue, like Prussian blue. 
The use of ultramarine blue with its reddish hue will 
dull the brilliance of a green. And the yellow used 
should incline toward a greenish hue,—lemon chrome 
yellow is correct for this mixing of green, while orange 
chrome and medium chrome yellow with their reddish 
hues will not produce such bright greens. 

In the mixing of tints and shades of green it is much 
better to use a chrome green with a white base or a raw 
umber base than to add Prussian blue and chrome 
vellow to the base to make a green. The reason for this 
is that while chrome green is manufactured by the use 
of Prussian blue and chrome yellow, the mixture is 
made very intimate and a chemical compound by mixing 
together at one time the chemical solutions which form 
this blue and this yellow. When the two colors are 
precipitated together at the same time a separation of 
the colors later does not occur, and fading in strong 
light is very much retarded. 

Another illustration of wise choice of tinting colors 
is In mixing dark greens. Greens as a class are fugitive 
in strong light, yet we have no green tinting pigment 
which is as valuable as medium chrome green. More 
durable dark greens for the painting of shingle roofs 
and window blinds can be mixed from raw umber to 
which a little raw sienna is added; it is then brought 
around to the green shade by the addition of chrome 
ereen. 

In the choice of tinting colors it is well also to keep 
in mind the nature of each color with reference to being 
transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. Tinting colors 
are classified in this respect in Chapter III. As a gen- 
eral principle, when you are mixing paint to dry with a 
solidly covered, opaque appearance, use an opaque tint- 
ing color in preference to a transparent color. And, on 


166 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


the other hand, when mixing glazing colors, wood stains 
and graining colors, the transparent and semi-trans- 
parent tinting colors are needed. 

The principal opaque colors are chrome yellow, light 
lemon, medium and orange, yellow ochre, vermilion, 
Indian red, Venetian red and, of course, lampblack and 
ivory black. 

The semi-transparent colors are raw sienna, burnt 
sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, Turkey red, Tuscan red. 

Transparent colors are Prussian blue, ultramarine 
blue, cobalt blue, crimson lake and other dacs and aniline 
colors. 

More Interesting Colors—When a single tinting color 
is added to a white paint a less interesting tint is 
usually secured than when two or more tinting colors 
are added to a white base. A: good illustration on this 
point is found in mixing light browns. When you add 
burnt umber to white paint you secure a rather lifeless 
-brown. When, however, you add also a very small 
amount of chrome yellow and a touch of Venetian red 
or vermilion, a much more lively light brown is the 
result. Neither the yellow nor red is noticeable, as such, 
in the color, but the influence is evident. In mixing 
light greens by the use of medium chrome green and 
white, rather crude and raw tints result, but when you 
add AR just a touch of red and yellow or blue, greater 
interest is gained. 

Gray and Grey Pointe others two names are used 
rather interchangeably referring to light and dark paint. 
As a matter of fact there is a distinction which should 
be drawn in the use of these names. When black is 
added to white the resulting color is gray and when 
white is added to black we again have a gray. These are 
the crude raw slate colors and dark grays, which have 
little interest. 

Taking one of the grays as a base and adding a color 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 167 


pigment, such as a minute quantity of yellow, red or 
blue, you produce a grey, whether one or all three of 
these colors have been added to the black and white 
base. Hither the black or the white will predominate 
in quantity and you will not be able to recognize the 
red, blue or yellow, as such, but they will have their 
influence and produce much more interesting tints and 
shades. The French greys, warm greys, ash, pearl and 
silver grey are all made this way. 

Greys of this character are also made by simply add- 
ing a touch of raw sienna or raw umber to the black 
and white pigments. 

The character of grays differs according to the kind 
of black pigment used with the white ;—lampblack, ivory 
black, gas black and vegetable blacks all influence the 
color in their own way. 

Gray is gray to the average mind and yet when you 
eome to study colors a little you soon learn what the 
experienced interior decorator and artist take as rudi- 
mentary; that there is a great variety of greys, some 
having a cold, bluish cast and others with a warm, red 
tone; some are yellowish and others have a brown or 
green cast, yet all are grey. And the particular shade 
of grey which looks so well with certain other color 
combinations doesn’t hold its own when placed amid new 
eolor surroundings. 

The tendency among house painters for years has been 
to simplify color formulas as much as possible. For 
outside house painting there may not be great reason 
to do otherwise, yet without adhering to simple formulas 
too closely much more beautiful tints and shades are 
always produced. The grays made by tinting white 
with lampblack only, with their crude, cold impression 
can never equal those produced with both lampblack and 
raw umber or other color added to the white. 

When it comes to mixing greys for interiors it is very 


168 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


necessary that they be given a warm red, yellow, brown, 
green or neutral drab hue, according to what colors are 
much in evidence in rugs and furnishings. It is gener- 
ally true that colors mixed from simple formulas cannot 
possibly have the life, brilliance and charm of those 
mixed with two or three tinting colors and a white base. 
A grey may contain a touch of red in its composition 
which you cannot see as such, but it is there and has 
its effect in the impression given by the grey. This fact 
is noticed when you try to match some fine colors ;— 
your mix comes very near matching, yet you can see or 
feel that something is lacking. You don’t know what 
color ought to be added to tone up your mix, because 
you cannot see the missing color. 


MATCHING COLOR SAMPLES 


If you were always called upon to mix paint to match 
samples of other liquid paints, the task would not be 
very difficult. You will also be called upon to mix paint 
to match samples of other paint which is dry and has a 
oloss surface; likewise, samples of dry paint having a 
flat surface, samples with a smooth finish or a rough 
finish, samples which appear in large area or in small 
area, samples of colors which appear alone and those 
which appear alongside of other eolors. You will be 
expected to match certain colors selected from wallpaper 
having many colors, from window drapes, from rugs, 
from furniture, paintings and picture frames. 

To succeed at all of these matchings sorely tries the 
skill of decorators with a lifetime of experience. In 
some cases the matching of a color sample is done largely 
by instinct based upon years of experience. Some of 
the methods developed by the ingenuity of experienced 
decorators will help you, but often you will be thrown 
-upon your own resources. In such eases, if you really 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 169 


know tinting colors and their characteristics, together 
with the peculiar effect of light reflections upon them, 
you will have no difficulty in securing a match. 

It is more difficult to match a gloss paint to a flat color 
sample than to another gloss sample; it is more difficult 
to match flat paint to a gloss sample than to a flat 
sample; it is more difficult to mix a paint to match a 
color sample which is one of many colors appearing 
alongside of each other, as in wallpaper, window drapes, 
rugs, ete. 

Another point, paints which dry without gloss appear 
to be different in hue from paints having a gloss finish. 
Paint spread upon dark surfaces or upon old surfaces 
which are bright in color have quite a different appear- 
ance than when spread onto white or light color surfaces. 

As to quantities of colors to be mixed when you are 
to match a sample, it is worth while to remember that 
you should begin the mixing with only about half of 
the white paint, or principal color, needed for a base; 
that is, begin the mixing with about half of the material 
you estimate you will need. Then keep a record of the 
amounts of colors added to the base as you proceed 
with the mixing, so that you may duplicate the batch 
if not enough color is obtained at first. 

The tendency is to mix too much paint when matching 
colors. On some occasions you will find that when you 
have finally secured the match you will have two or 
three times as much paint as you have use for on the 
particular job at hand. If you discount this factor 
when you start the mixing you are less likely to waste 
materials. 

Then there is another advantage to be gained by this 
procedure; you may accidentally put in too much color. 
In order to make the paint lighter, then, you must add 
more white, in some cases considerably more white. 
Under these circumstances, if you started with only 


170 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


half or two-thirds of the total amount of white needed 
you can correct the error without wasting material. 

Tight for Matching Colors.—Colors not only appear 
slightly different to some other people than to you, but 
the kind of light which prevails at the time of mixing 
and matching makes a difference in the way in which 
vou see color values. 

With some colors it is confusing to have a light which 
is too strong, such as direct rays of sunlight; this is 
particularly the case with very light ivory, cream, yellow 
and tan tints. On the other hand, a very strong sun- 
light is particularly useful when mixing and matching 
deep blues, greens and blacks, as with sunlight the exact 
character of the color is more easily seen. 

Usually a good north light is best for average mixing 
conditions. Light which is reflected from having the 
direct sunlight strike a colored wall and being reflected 
into your mixing room is likely to cause no end of trouble 
when matching colors. Artificial light, except the spe- 
cial electric bulbs made for the special purpose of color 
matching, and which duplicate daylight, is likely to give 
trouble if used in a color mixing room. 

In the mixing of colors keep in mind that artificial 
light changes most colors;—they appear different at 
night than in a daylight room. 

Rest Your Eyes Often.—Color, you will remember, is 
a sensation produced upon your eyes by light reflection. 
If you look steadily for some time at a color which you 
are mixing you will temporarily lose your ability to 
judge the character of that color. To avoid this it is 
well occasionally to cast your eye upon other colors, or 
simply leave your mixing for a minute or two in order 
to clear your vision, to readjust it by looking at other 
colors or at your surroundings in general. This will 
enable you to regain sensitiveness to the color and you 
ean judge it more accurately. 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 171 


In making a very close match between a batch of 
paint and a color card, drapes, wallpaper or any other 
material, it is very important to remember this point 
about your eyes becoming tired, or saturated with the 
eolor you are mixing. A color looked at too steadily 
appears to become a bit neutralized or faded,—it loses 
its brightness in your eyes, but not in the eyes of others. 
In order to maintain balanced appreciation of color, 
one’s eyes should have within their range all three of 
the primary colors, red, blue and yellow. You probably. 
have heard it said that an interior color scheme which 
is completely in harmony must contain all three pri- 
mary colors—red, blue and yellow—in some proportion. 
This should not be misunderstood to mean that all three 
of these colors must be present in equal area, nor in 
equal brightness. ‘To illustrate, the general tone of a, 
room may be soft yellow used on large areas, while the 
red may be present in the form of a small area of bright 
red on a vase. The blue may be only a dull color 
appearing incidentally here and there in small areas. 

One Color Influences Another.—A color placed along- 
side of other colors reflects a different hue than when 
seen alone on a white background. 

Green placed near blue causes these alterations :— 
green appears yellower and the blue appears more violet 
than when alone on a white background. 

Turquoise blue placed between cobalt and navy blue, 
or between apricot yellow and greenish yellow, will 
result in very noticeable differences being apparent. The 
turquoise blue is greener when closely related to cobalt 
‘and navy blue; while turquoise between apricot and 
ereenish yellow appears bluer. 

Lilae placed with a flesh tint on one side and a deeper © 
pink on the other is more intense, a deeper color than 
when the same lilac is placed between dark green and 
violet. 


172 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Areas of red and green are both more intense along- 
side of each other,—the red appears redder and the 
ereen is greener. 

Areas of black and of white, on a grey background, 
are more intense when placed close to each other than 
when separated. 

The Watch Crystal Test. —The most satisfactory way . 
to note exact matches, or differences in colors and in 
blacks and in white pigments, is to secure a few dozen 
watch erystals from jewelry supply houses (odd sizes 
will do). Place your colors in the coneave side of the 
erystal. Cover one-half of the crystal with a piece of 
blotting paper while you fill the other half with one of 
the colors in thick paste form; then remove the blotter 
and fill the other half of the crystal with the second 
eolor. The blotter can then be placed on the open side 
of the erystal to hold the colors in place. When the 
erystal is turned over you will see clearly any slight 
difference in hue of a tint or shade. See Plate 11. You 
may have two batches of white, black or any color which, 
when looked at separately, appear to be exactly alike, but 
when they are placed so intimately together on a watch 
erystal, or a piece of clear white glass, you will be sur- 
prised to note the differences. You will find that some 
whites have a yellowish cast, others are bluish, while still 
others have a muddy, gray cast. The blacks appear jet 
black, brownish black, grayish and reddish black. 

Matching Liquid Samples——If you have one pot of 
paint in the liquid form and want to mix an additional 
quantity to match it, proceed by making a white paint 
as indicated elsewhere. Examine in good light the color 
sample you are to match to decide what tinting colors are 
needed. Mix a little of the principal tinting color paste 
with linseed oil or turpentine in a separate pot; also a 
little of each of the other colors which you think will be 
needed. Strain these tinting colors and add the prin- 


COLORED. PAINT MIXING METHODS 173 


f 


cipal color to the white base, stirring it in thoroughly’ 
until the paint approximately matches the sample, but 
is still lighter than the sample. 









Fill this half 
with other color 


Fill this half 
with one color 







blotter 





blotter on back 





Plate 11.—The Watch Crystal Test 


Next add a little of each of any other colors which 
appear to be needed. Thoroughly mix these colors into 
the white base. To test your color match take a clean 
mixing paddle of wood or iron and dip it into the color 


174 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


sample; lft it out and let the excess paint drain off; 
then dip the paddle into the new batch of paint, and 
where the two mixings join you will be able to see 
whether your new paint is too light or too dark, whether 
it needs a touch of red, blue, yellow, black or white to 
complete the match. See Plate 12. 

In judging the principal tinting colors used in a sample 
of wet paint, one of the best means is to dip a finger 
into it and carry a bit of the paint to a white painted 


Old Color 


New Color 
too dark 





Old Paint 
Mixing Sample to 
Paddle’ be matched 


Plate 12.—Testing for Color Match 


or paper surface; by rubbing the paint out with the 
finger you can soon decide whether it was mixed prin- 
cipally with one color or another and whether it was 
mixed largely with linseed oil or turpentine. 

Matching a Dry Paint Color Sample—Most colors 
change some when drying. You must mix your new 
paint a little lighter, spread it out on a surface and 
allow an hour or two setting before you can know that 
your match has been made. Your new paint color being 
matched, it should be spread alongside of the dry paint 
-eolor sample and permitted to dry. There are changes 
in colors due to oxidation and to the fact that there is 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 175 


a separation of colors from the liquid in some cases. For 
instance, a green mixed from chrome yellow and Prus- 
sian blue is more likely to show a separation between 
eolor and liquid than a green mixed from medium 
chrome green. 

Matching Gloss to Flat.—One of the difficulties you 
will experience in mixing paint to match a sample is 
that of trying to make a gloss paint match a color which 
has no gloss. After your eye is trained you will be able 
to do this without difficulty, although it is sometimes 
necessary to put water or oil onto the flat color before 
you can mix your paint exactly to match it. In other 
words, you can mix a gloss paint to match a gloss sample 
and a flat paint to match a flat sample without difficulty, 
but to mix a gloss paint to match a flat sample you will 
have to temporarily give the sample a gloss, too. Also 
mix your gloss paint a little lighter than the flat sample; 
it will darken when drying. 

When a color sample given you to match has no gloss 
and you are to mix a gloss paint of the same color you 
ean make the match easily enough while your batch of 
gloss paint is wet, but when it becomes dry it may have 
a brighter and richer tone than the flat sample. For 
that reason it may be necessary for you to add a bit of 
white, black or some other color to the gloss paint to 
dull its rich tone. — 

Matching Flat to Gloss—And when the reverse is 
true, that is, when you are mixing flat drying paint to 
match a gloss color, you must spread both onto a sur- 
face and allow them to dry before being certain that 
you have a match. It is more than likely that the paint 
which dries without gloss will be lacking in richness or 
brillianee and will appear a little lighter than when it 
was wet. To avoid this difficulty it is necessary to mix 
your flat paint a little brighter in tone than the gloss 
sample. For example, in mixing reds and pinks with 


176 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Venetian red in a flat color it may be necessary to add 
a touch of vermilion, which is a brighter red, before your 
flat color will match the gloss color when dry. 

When mixing a flat blue to match a gloss blue you 
are likely to find that a brighter hue is given to the flat 
color by a touch of yellow or green. 

One Color to Match. Several.—Y ou will often find that 
when you have successfully matched one of the colors of 
a wallpaper pattern and have painted, for instance, the 
wood trim of a room with the matched color, the effect 
is not at all what is wanted. The reason for this is that 
the color appears in small area in the wallpaper and 
when used in large area on the trim the color is entirely 
too strong. Such a color neutralized by mixing with 
gray, or made much lighter with white, produces har- 
mony which is much more pleasing. 

There are other instances where new color must be 
mixed to match a single color in wallpaper or drapes, 
such as one certain green, for example, and when it is 
better to match the general tone. In that case a green 
approximating the one in the wallpaper is first mixed. 
Then very small amounts of each of two or three other 
colors appearing in the wallpaper are added to this 
green. The resulting green harmonizes with the general 
tone of the wallpaper and is related to the particular 
shade of green in the paper, but does not match it. 

When you are called upon to mix a color to match a 
surface which has a mottled color effect, such as tapestry, 
brick of blended colors, Tiffany glaze finish painted 
walls or cloth drapes, there are two ways in which you 
ean handle the problem. One color in the wall may 
predominate and you can mix your paint to match that. 
The other way would be mixing a neutral gray or drab 
color paint which will tone in and harmonize with the 
whole surface. To do this simply add to your white 


COLORED PAINT MIXING METHODS 177, 


paint, or basic color, a little of each of the several colors 
appearing in the mottled finish. 

Matching Rough and Smooth Surfaces—You may 
encounter difficulty at times when matching paint for a 
smooth colored surface with a rough colored surface. 
For example, take a rough plaster wall and paint it with 
a color shown on a smooth paper color card; on the 
rough wall you will see the exact color of the card in 
places, but in many other places darker shades of the 
color may be noted, because of the shadows cast by high 
points and the manner in which the daylight or artificial 
light strikes the rough wall. If you could subject such 
a surface to strong direct rays of light, the shadows 
would disappear and the rough surface would be exactly 
the same color tone as the smooth surface. 

Matching Fabric Color Samples.—The play of light 
reflections on silks and other materials which drape 
naturally and have a high sheen is sometimes very diffi- 
eult. The colors appear different at every angle from 
which they are viewed because of shadows and reflec- 
tions. These characteristics cannot, of course, be matched 
in paint. About all you can do is match the general 
effect with paint. 

The way to go about it is to mix a color match for the 
darkest shades appearing on the silk and another batch 
matching the lightest tints to be seen. Then by adding 
these two mixings together you get an approximation 
which will harmonize in a general way. 

By brushing out the paint on a fairly large surface 
alongside of the silk hangings, you can readily judge 
whether a mixing needs a slight toning by the addition 
of minute quantities of red, blue, yellow, black or white 
to make the harmony perfect. A semi-gloss mixing of 
paint will more readily match silks than will flat paint. 

A Few Mixing Points—A mixture of any two or 


178 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


more colors results in a darker shade than any of them. 

Yellow is the color pigment to add to any color to 
make it brighter. 

White mixed with colors makes them lighter in hue 
but not brighter; white greys or softens and takes off 
the sharp appearance of a color with which it is mixed. 

White, grey and black are neutral and reflect no color 
rays to the eye. 

Black is the total absence of color. In theory black re- 
sults from mixing together the primary colors—red, blue 
and yellow. What actually results from such a mixture 
is a very dark, muddy grey of a brownish or greenish 
hue, depending upon what pigments are mixed. 


CHAPTER XI 
MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 


Undercoat Colors—Where two or more coats of paint 
are to be put on to exterior or interior surfaces, upon 
signs, automobiles and furniture, the question arises as 
to whether the undercoats should be the same color as 
the finishing coat. The question is answered yes or no, 
depending upon what colors and surfaces are being 
treated. 

For exterior painting, generally speaking, it is better 
to mix all of your coats the same color. There are 
exceptions to this, however. When you are painting the 
exterior of a house a deep Colonial yellow it is good 
practice to mix your undercoats pure white, or a cream 
eolor produced with raw sienna or medium chrome 
yellow. Your finishing coat will be made by tinting 
white paint with a considerable quantity of medium 
ehrome yellow. Chrome yellow is higher in price than 
white paint and, naturally, the use of more of the color 
than is necessary is wasteful and brings up the cost of 
the job. There is no need to use enough chrome yellow 
in this case to make your undercoats the same as your 
finishing coat. Chrome yellow is an opaque color which 
hides the surface well in one coat. When spread over a 
white or cream-colored paint the last coat only need be 
full in color. This same principle holds good wherever 
the mixing of a finishing coat involves a large amount 
of expensive color. 

On interior surfaces some decorators believe that 
undereoats should be lighter than the finishing coat, 

179 


180 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


while others prefer that it should be darker ; they reason 
that the finishing coat may be brushed on more rapidly 
when there is quite a difference between the colors. This 
is not the best practice because it necessitates mixing at 
least two batches of paint, and that wastes time. 

Since most colors change a little during the drying 
process, there is enough difference between a dry coat 
on a wall and a fresh wet coat to facilitate brushing. 
By mixing all coats the same color time is saved, because 
the paint can be mixed in thick paste form to be thinned 
with turpentine or flatting oil for a flat finish or with 
linseed oil for a gloss finish. The undercoats may be put 
on and when dry the color noted. If any shght change 
in hue is desired, after seeing the color in large area on 
the surface, it is a simple matter to correct the color 
before the final coat goes on. 

An exception to the rule that most interior paints 
should be mixed the same color for all coats is the finish- 
ing of walls with transparent colors to give mottled and 
blended Tiffany effects. Where final coats are trans- 
parent or semi-transparent colors, the undercoats must 
be opaque, flat colors which cover solidly and which are 
several degrees lighter in color than the finishing coats. 
This principle is carried out also in the finishing of 
automobiles where, for instance, the transparent lake 
colors such as maroon lake are used. The undercoats for 
the transparent lake finishing coats are lighter tints. In 
sion painting the same practice is followed to some 
extent. 

On painting jobs where the finishing coat is made up 
largely of such transparent colors as Prussian blue, 
chrome green, raw and burnt sienna, raw and burnt 
umber, it is very important that the undercoats be mixed 
so as to be opaque and solid covering so as to hide the 
surface, and it is especially necessary that the under- 
coats be exactly or as nearly the color of the finishing 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 181 


coat as possible. This is true only, of course, when the 
finishing color is to have a solid opaque appearance. 
When a glaze appearance is wanted, particularly with 
the special wall finishes which are stippled, mottled and 
blended, this principle is not involved; then the under- 
eoats are usually very light complementary, related or 
self-tone colors. 


VARIOUS KINDS OF PUTTY 


The skillful use and mixing of putty for many pur- 
poses is a subject which is deserving of more thought 
and interest than is apparent today. Too often painters 
and decorators use indiscriminate mixtures of putty for 
all kinds of surfaces and conditions. 

The skilled craftsman knows how to mix a putty which 
will dry just as fast as is necessary to accommodate his 
work, one which is soft and porous when dry or very 
hard; he mixes putty which can be sandpapered freely 
to make a smooth and level surface, a putty which can 
be rubbed with pumice stone and water to a fine finish, 
or one which ean be knifed on for a heavy filling or for 
a thin surfacer. 

As a general working rule to follow, it is well to keep 
in mind that putty should be mixed as nearly as possible 
of the same color, texture, degree of intensity and hard- 
ness of surface as the material into which it is placed as 
a filler. A very soft porous putty should not be used 
for stopping up holes in very hard dense surfaces, and 
the reverse is equally true, that very hard drying,.dense 
putty should not be used to stop up soft, porous surfaces. 

There is much to be said about using the right kind 
of putty in the right place. Disappointment is sure to 
result, for instance, from using whiting and linseed oil 
putty for filling cracks in hard surfaces where a quick 
job is to be done and with only one or two coats of paint. 
Such a putty dries slowly and the oil from it will stain 


182 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


coats of paint and disfigure the job. This is especially 
true where an oil putty is used on interior surfaces 
finished with flat coats of paint. In these cases the 
sweating of the putty results in shiny spots in the paint 
and discoloration; in some eases the paint may scale off. 

Formulas for mixing putty are innumerable. The 
common putty which you will secure from hardware 
stores and paint stocks generally, made up for window 
sash, is usually marble dust. This putty may be good 
enough for barn sash, but it gets hard and brittle shortly 
and will not remain in place. A little white lead, paste 
or dry white lead added to this putty makes a better 
material. . 

The use of a straight whiting and linseed oil for plug- 
ging cracks and nail holes on exterior surfaces is a bad 
practice. 

First Class Putty—The common way to make a first 
class putty for ordinary outside work is to take a small ° 
quantity of white lead paste from the kee and add dry 
whiting to it until a stiff mixture is secured on a slab. | 
Pound it a while with a mallet or club. Then the 
putty is taken into the hands and kneaded until a 
thorough mixture is secured. If the mixture gets too 
dry and thick, add a few drops of linseed oil. If you 
want a putty which will dry very hard and adhere even 
more firmly to a surface, add a few drops of hard-drying 
varnish—floor varnish or good spar varnish. 

Such putty is colored to match paint, or stained 
interior wood trim, by adding tinting colors in the dry 
form. 

Window Glass Putty—The common putty made by 
mixing a fine quality of bolted whiting and a little white 
lead with linseed oil is good for glazing window sash, 
but for glazing steel sash a putty should be mixed from 
dry red lead and linseed oil. 3 

Knifing Putty—For repairing damaged places in 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 183 


walls and woodwork a putty which is to be spread on 
and smoothed with a putty knife may be mixed by 
adding white lead paste to fine bolted whiting to make a 
stiff putty with equal parts of Japan gold size, linseed 
oil and turpentine. This putty is made thin enough to 
be applied with a broad putty knife to rough places and 
smoothed up. When it is dry the rough edges can be 
sandpapered and the whole patch rubbed down level. 

When a very hard drying, knifing putty is wanted, 
and one which can be rubbed with pumice stone and 
water, it may be mixed by adding to white lead in oil , 
paste enough fine dry whiting and fine pumice stone to 
make a stiff putty. When a liquid is needed a few drops 
of any hard drying or rubbing varnish or Japan gold 
size will serve the purpose. 

Swedish Putty.— What is ealled Swedish putty is made 
by decorators when large quantities are needed for filling 
many large cracks in floors, in plaster walls, and for 
making special wall finishes. Swedish putty is made 
with varying proportions of several ingredients. One 
way to make it is to start with a bit of paint mixed for 
outside wood surfaces—a lead paint or ready mixed gloss 
paint. To this is added a bit of dry whiting, or dry 
calcimine, a little glue dissolved in hot water, a little dry 
eolor, and in some eases a bit of dry China clay. In 
some cases paperhanger’s flour paste is added. A com- 
position of Swedish putty depends largely upon what 
working qualities you wish, how hard it is to dry and 
how rapidly it is supposed to dry. 

Quick-Setting Putty.—On jobs which are to be puttied 
and then followed up within an hour or two with paint 
the putty may be best made by mixing a stiff paste with 
dry white lead and Japan gold size. Add a few drops 
of turpentine if a quicker drying putty and one with a 
- more porous texture is wanted. 

Another way to make a quick drying putty is by 


184 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


mixing white lead in oil paste with dry white lead to a 
stiff putty, adding Japan gold size and floor or rubbing 
varnish. a 

Plaster of Paris Putty—Probably more putty for fill- 
ing holes in plaster walls is made from plaster of Paris 
than from any other material. This makes good filling 
material when properly used. The plaster of Paris 
should be submerged in water. Only a small portion, 
about the size of an egg, should be lifted from the water 
with a stopping knife and kneaded in the hand and 
made ready for placing in the hole. This material sets 
rapidly and it should be put in place before it has set. 
When in place it should be smoothed over repeatedly 
with the broad knife so as to glaze the surface, making 
it hard and non-porous like the plaster itself. 

Some painters have the bad habit of lifting too much 
plaster of Paris from the water at a time and when it 
begins to set in their hand they add a little more water 
or vinegar. This should not be done. When a batch of 
plaster takes its initial set before placing it in the hole 
it should be discarded for a fresh lot taken out of the 
water. 

For mixing a knifing putty to be used on plaster walls 
some decorators prefer to take a little prepared ealci- 
mine or other water paints and add dry whiting until 
the proper consistency for knifing is reached. These are 
handy mixtures, often, and they make a good filling 
which can be rubbed down smoothly with sandpaper. 

Floor Paints——There are many first class ready mixed 
paints which give good service on pine and other floors. 
To mix them ready for the brush it is necessary to handle 
them in the same manner as was described in the first 
part of Chapter VIII under the title of Mixing Ready- 
Mixed Paints. 

When it is desirable to mix floor paint to match some 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 185 


particular color using white lead and zine as the basic 
pigment the mixing should be done in this manner: 

New floors which have never been finished with any 
_ material require a first coat made by mixing white lead, 
the necessary color pigments, turpentine to the extent 
of about three-fourths of the liquid and boiled linseed 
oil to the extent of about one-fourth of the total liquid. 
These materials should be mixed as described in Chap- 
ter VIII for breaking up white lead paints. 

The second coat on new floors should be mixed with 
three-fourths white lead and one-fourth zine oxide, plus 
necessary tinting colors and turpentine, using very 
little or no linseed oil. This coat will dry without gloss. 
When the paint is thoroughly dry, one or two coats of 
first class floor varnish will make a durable job. A coat 
of wax on top of the varnish will make a floor which is 
easy to clean, and the wax will protect the varnish. 

Your aim in mixing floor paint is to produce a hard, 
dry, tough film, and for that reason only enough linseed 
oil should be used to satisfy the suction of the new wood. 
If too much oil is used the film would not dry as hard 
as it should, and, furthermore, it will be more elastic 
than the varnish coats and may have too high a gloss 
to permit the varnish coats to take hold of the surface 
properly. With too much oil in undercoats on floors 
there is some likelihood that the paint will expand more 
than the varnish on floors which get quite warm over 
furnaces; the result will be cracking or alligatoring of 
the paint. 

The painting of old floors which have been finished in 
varnish, shellac or wax requires a little preparatory 
work. As a rule, varnished floors require only scrub- 
bing and the sandpaperinge of rough places a little and 
they are ready to paint. Floors which have been waxed 
should be washed up with turpentine to remove as much 


186 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


wax as possible. Floors which have been painted before 
require washing, sandpapering of any rough places and 
filling of large cracks with putty before painting. 

From this point on finish old floors the same as was 
described for new floors, beginning with the second coat. 

Another way to mix your paint for old and new floors 
where a less costly job is to be done is to treat your new 
floor with a coat of paint composed of white lead, tinting 
colors, three-fourths turpentine and one-fourth boiled 
linseed oil. Then, for a second coat on new floors and 
for both coats on old floors, mix your paint with three- 
fourths white lead and one-fourth zine oxide; one-fourth 
of the liquid to be turpentine, one-fourth boiled linseed 
oil and one-half first class floor varnish. The varnish to 
be thinned with the turpentine before adding it to the 
paint with the linseed oil. Some painters mix floor paint 
with white lead, zine oxide, tinting colors and boiled 
linseed oil, adding only about half a pint or one pint of 
floor varnish to a gallon of paint. 

Floor Fillers.—For open-grained floors like oak a filler 
is mixed using dry silica, sometimes called silex, with 
about four-fifths benzine and one-fifth boiled linseed oil. 
A little Japan drier, about two tablespoonfuls to a 
gallon of filler, is sometimes needed. To color the filler, 
dry color such as burnt umber for brown finished floors 
is used. Color ground in oil may also be used. 

It is not possible to give exact mixing directions for 
a floor filler because the temperature of the room and 
ventilation are governing factors. The filler must be — 
tempered by adding a little boiled linseed oil to slow 
the drying, or more benzine to hasten the drying. 

The filler should be so tempered that when you brush 
it on to about one square yard of floor it will begin to 
set immediately and turn flat; that is, the benzine evapo- 
rates immediately. 

The filler is brushed on to the floor freely like paint 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 187 


with the grain of the wood and across the grain, being 
careful to rub it into the pores of the wood. As soon as 
the dull surface appears the filler should be wiped off 
of the surface with a wad of excelsior. Rubbing with 
excelsior also forces the filler into the pores. 

The wiping with excelsior should be done across the 
erain only. If the filler has been mixed correctly it 
will roll up into a thick paste and all excess filler not 
needed to stop the cracks and pores will come off readily 
onto the excelsior. If too much oil has been used the 
filler will not dry rapidly enough and it will not lodge 
in the cracks and pores of the wood as it should. 

As each square yard is coated in with the filler and 
takes on a dull finish it must be wiped immediately, or 
it will get so hard and stiff that a great amount of labor 
will be needed to remove the excess filler from the sur- 
face. Plenty of excelsior should be used, and if the 
filler sets so rapidly that you do not succeed in wiping 
it off before it becomes dry, wash up the surface freely 
with benzine and start all over again. 

In floor fillers for natural finished oak no eolor is 
needed. For dark oak burnt umber will color the filler 
and at the same time stain the wood. Where dark 
finishes are wanted it is well to put on an oil stain or a 
spirit stain before the filler. 

White and Colored Enamels—The name enamel 
covers quite a variety of paints which dry with a high 
gloss, semi-gloss or satin finish. For use on interior 
wood trim and on walls occasionally, undoubtedly the 
best enamels for painters and decorators to use are those 
which are bought from manufacturers already prepared 
for brushing onto a surface. High class prepared 
enamels can be secured to dry with a gloss and to dry 
with a semi-flat satin finish which gives the appearance 
of a hand-rubbed surface. Most of the prepared enamels 
come in white, cream and light gray; some brands, 


188 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


however, may be had in half a dozen beautiful bright 
but soft colors. 

If you wish to mix a colored enamel for interior trim 
or furniture finishing you can do so by adding Japan 
colors thinned with turpentine to white enamel—gloss 
or satin finish. The Japan color selected is to be thinned 
with turpentine to about the same consistency as the 
enamel; it should then be strained and poured into the 
enamel a little at a time until the desired color is secured. 
When your color has been added be very careful to stir 
the enamel thoroughly until all of the color has been 
incorporated. Then as a precaution a good decorator will 
strain the enamel into a clean pot. 

Undercoatings for enamel can be purchased ready pre- 
pared for the brush, and they maybe colored to suit in 
exactly the same manner as just described for enamels. 
If you wish to mix your enamel wndercoats you may 
do so by using one-half white lead and one-half zine 
oxide thinned with turpentine to the extent of about 
three-fourths of the total amount of liquid and one- 
fourth of the colored enamel to be used as a finish. 

See Chapter VIII for formulas for mixing white 
enamel. 

Color Varnish.—Automobile painters and furniture 
finishers sometimes wish to use a color varnish. Color 
varnishes can be purchased ready prepared for use on 
automobiles, carriages and wagons. When the painter 
himself wishes to mix color with the varnish it may be 
accomplished by mixing two or three ounces of Japan 
eolor with turpentine to bring it to about the same con- 
sistency as the varnish. Strain the eolor and add it to 
about one quart of rubbing varnish. This is just enough 
eolor to slightly stain and offset the brown color of the 
varnish. 

Aluminum Paint.—For deseriptions of bronze pig- 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS 189 


ments refer to Chapter V and for bronzing liquids, 
‘Chapter VI. 

The mixing of aluminum paint is accomplished in a 
reverse manner to that used for other paints, in the 
respect that the dry aluminum or colored bronze pig- 
ments are poured into a pot containing liquid. It is 
easier to mix any dry pigment with a liquid by placing 
the liquid in the pot first and stirring the dry pigment 
into it than if the reverse operation is followed. 

The metallic pigments are very heavy and they settle 
to the bottom of the pot quickly. They should not only 
be thoroughly mixed, but it is essential to agitate the 
paint every few minutes by stirring in order to keep the 
paint of the same consistency all the time. 

Aluminum paint should be mixed for average surfaces 
in the proportion of about 114 to 2 pounds of dry alumi- 
num powder to 1 gallon of heavy bodied boiled linseed 
oil. This will make approximately 114 gallons of paint. 

For some purposes the liquid used is entirely special 
heavy bodied boiled linseed oil. Ordinary raw linseed 
oil is too thin for use with this pigment. Some brands 
of heavy bodied boiled linseed oil can be thinned with 
turpentine or mineral spirits in the portion of 40 parts 
oil to 60 parts of turpentine and the resulting mixture 
will be of just about the right consistency for aluminum 
paint. 

Where aluminum paint is exposed to the weather, spar 
varnish makes an excellent vehicle with which to mix the 
aluminum powder in the proportion of 114 to 2 pounds 
of powder to a gallon of varnish. If the varnish vehicle 
is too expensive an excellent and serviceable liquid ean 
still be made by using 20 per cent of ordinary pure raw 
or boiled linseed oil to 60 per cent of spar varnish. 

The pigment particles of aluminum are flat and make 
up a paint film by a leafy formation, one flat pigment 


190 THH MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


particle overlapping the other like fish scales. This 
leafing peculiarity retards the drying of linseed oil 
somewhat, and for that reason boiled oil is preferred. 
It is sometimes necessary to add a little Japan drier to 
make the paint dry rapidly enough. And if a harder 
paint film is wanted, spar varnish should be added to the 
oil vehicle. 

Aluminum paint is very opaque and protects a sur- 
face well. It is particularly noted for excluding ultra- 
violet light rays. Such paint is valuable for protecting 
not only metal but also surfaces which are subjected to 
both indoor and outdoor exposure. Aluminum paint 
reflects most of the light and heat cast upon it and 
absorbs very little. It is for this reason that aluminum 
paint is used as a protective medium on balloon fabrics. 
In past years the large gas bags of airships deteriorated 
rapidly because of the effect of the direct rays of sun- 
light. Aluminum paint has materially increased the 
life of such fabrics by excluding the heat and light. 
China wood oil is used with aluminum powder for such 
paints because of its ability to withstand high tem- 
peratures. 

Aluminum paint is excellent for such surfaces as large 
oil storage tanks, large gas holders of public service 
companies and many other metal surfaces. Bright 
aluminum reflects approximately 70 per cent of the 
light rays and about 90 per cent of heat rays. 

A particular characteristic of aluminum paint to be 
kept in mind is that it is very opaque and its hiding 
power is such that often one coat of aluminum paint 
will obscure a surface which would require two or three 
coats of ordinary paint to gain the same end. A little 
aluminum paint spread onto a piece of glass and noted 
through the other side will give you a clear idea of this 
virtue. Such hiding power makes aluminum paint valu- 
able for coating signboards which are to be relettered 


MIXING SPECIAL PURPOSE MATERIALS we il 


and also for use on mahogany finished doors stained 
with an aniline bleeding red. Sometimes mahogany 
finished doors when refinished with white enamel will 
turn pink even after many coats of enamel are applied. 
Then a coat of aluminum paint is usually successful in 
sealing up the bleeding stain. 

For use on exterior surfaces at least two coats of 
aluminum paint are necessary. 

Aluminum paint should be fresh each day, because it 
deteriorates by losing its rapid leafinge quality when it 
stands in the vehicle for some time. 

The polished aluminum powder has a higher reflec- 
tivity than an unpolished aluminum. The polished pig- 
ment reflects between 55 and 70 per cent of light rays, 
while the unpolished reflects between 45 and 50 per cent 
of light rays. 

It is interesting to note that some very pleasing deco- 
rative effects can be gained by mixing tinting color 
pigments with aluminum paint. The aluminum will 
conceal small amounts of color, but fairly large amounts 
will add their. color to the paint, while the aluminum 
adds reflection and brilliance which are very pleasing. 


CHAPTER XII 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 


Color Differences and Descriptive Terms.—Some of 
the confusion of thought concerning color harmony and 
management is the outgrowth of rather indiscriminate 
use of color terms and descriptive names. The use of 
such words as tone, tint, shade, hue, cast, blend, con- 
trast, value and neutral inappropriately is bound to 
make an understanding and judicious use of color har- 
mony more difficult. 

Good judgment and analysis of a color scheme as well 
as correct language needed in a discussion of color come 
naturally enough after committing to memory a few 
correct descriptive terms and fundamental principles. 

About Contrasts—In color schemes contrast of three 
kinds is used ;—contrast of values, contrast of color hues, 
contrast of intensities. 

Contrast of Values.—Differences between light and 
dark degrees of one color or of black are contrasts of 
value. These are differences between tints and shades of 
one color. | 

When you mix white with pure, intense red pigment 
you produce a lighter red, a tint of red. Add still more 
white and a still lighter red is produced,—one which 
you may call pink. Now add black to the same pure 
red and you have a darker red, a shade of red; add still 
more black to the pure red, and you mix a very dark red. 

Now you have the original bright, pure and intense 
red, two tints of red and two shades of red,—five colors 
or hues in all. All have the same color hue—red—yet 


192 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 193 


there are differences between these tints and shades of 
red. These differences are contrasts of value ;—they are 
values of red. All colors: have their degrees of value 
and each value reflects a different amount of. light. 

Likewise, the differences between black and a series 
of grays made by mixing white with black are contrasts 
of value. Grays mixed in this manner are tints of black. 

In contrast of values, black and white afford the 
extreme, the greatest contrast, while very light gray and 
white afford the least contrast. 

Contrast of value occurs also between unlike colors. 
Any two or more colors which are not equally light or 
equally dark produce a contrast of values together. A 
tint of one color may form a contrast of value with 
another color or shade of another color. 

Contrast of value exists, then, between light and dark 
colors, between tints and shades of the same color (self- 
tones) and between tints and shades of unlike colors. 

Authorities estimate that the human eye can distin- 
guish about one hundred variations or contrasts in value 
for any color hue. 

In a color scheme in which the contrasts of value are 
gereat,—where some very light colors contrast to a great 
degree with very dark colors there should not also be 
ereat contrasts of color hue. 

High and Low Values.—The light tints and colors are 
high values. Shades and dark colors are low values. 

A light tint contrasted with a shade or dark color 
gives a high or great contrast of values. 

A light tint contrasted with another light tint, a light 
color contrasted with another light color, a shade con- 
trasted with another shade, or a dark color contrasted 
with another dark color, all result in low contrasts of 
values, because the differences in degree of contrast are 
small. 


194 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Contrast of Hwe.—Hue means color. It is the quality 
which distinguishes one color from another; it is the 
characteristic which makes red totally different from 
blue and blue totally different from yellow. 

A certain tint of red and a certain tint of blue are 
unalterably different in hue, but they may be equal in 
value (equally light or dark), and equal in intensity 
(equally bright, pure and light-reflecting). 

Red is red whether it is a light tint, a dark shade or 
has been greyed with white. If you mix a different color 
with red you change its basic character and produce 
another color. If you add blue to red, for example, a 
little blue simply gives the red a bluish tinge, a bluish 
hue. More blue changes the red to violet or purple, 
which is a different colan a different hue, though a 
related one. 

Contrast of Intensity.—The first dimension in color is 
value, the second is hue, and the third is intensity. An 
understanding of all three dimensions equips one accu- 
rately to analyze, judge and to enjoy color scheme 
combinations greatly. 

Intensity is the brightness, depth and purity of a 
color; it is the quality of a color which relates it closely 
to the light ray eolor in the spectrum of which it is a 
reflection. 

One blue may differ from another because one is light 
and the other dark; the lght one reflects more light 
than the dark one because it has more white in its mix- 
ture. That is a contrast of values. But two blues which 
are equally light or equally dark may yet be different 
in another quality—purity of tone, depth of color; that 
difference is intensity. The blue of lesser intensity seems 
dull and grey, even when it is made lighter by mixing 
pure white with it; the other may be dark, but still be 
brighter and purer. 

. color combination may harmonize by one principle 





COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT = 495 


HARMONY PRINCIPLE NO. 1 


TONES OF ONE COLOR 


Illustrating Contrast of Value only, with self-tints and 
shades of the same color. Demonstrating one color 
only, but the principle applies to constructing 
color schemes in harmony from any color. 












Very light red 
tint — pink 
White 
mired 
with red 
to make 
tints 


Complementary 


Climax 
Color - 


RED 


Intense 
Blue-green 


Black or 
green 
mixed 

with red 

to make 
shades 





Complementary 


Climax 
Color + 


Intense 
Orange 


Black or 
orange 
mixed 

with blue 
to make 


shades 





J, an 





Very light 
yellow tint 


White 
mixed 
with yellow 
to make 
tints 


YELLOW 


Black or 
violet 
mixed with Diset hassle 
yellow to ie oat 
make 
shades 







ight yellow: int: 





High Complementary 
Values Clinax 


Color — 


Intense 
Violet 





196 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND anete 
HARMONY PRINCIPLE NO. 2 
RELATED COLORS 


Illustrating Contrast of Values (tints and shades of 
one color), also Contrast of Hues (related colors) 









Te Light Yellow 

2. Medium Yellow 
3. Greenish Yellow 
A. Orange Yellow 





Complementary Complementary Complementary 





Climax Climax Climax 
Color for Color for Color for 
No. 1 and 2— No. 3—Is No. 4— 


Is Violet Violet-Red Is Blue 





_~ = 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 197 


HARMONY PRINCIPLE NO. 3 


COMPLEMENTARY COLORS 


Illustrating : 


Contrast of Values (tints and shades of one color) 
Contrast of Hues (unlike colors) 
Contrast of Intensities (brilhancy ) 


Red 


All of these are 

bright, intense colors 

-and as such should 
Bluish- be used in small area 
ee Green as Tae or focal 
Ce Ge point colors. 





When greyed by mix- 
ing with a little white 
or neutralized by 
Orange mixing one comple- 
mentary color with 
the other these colors 
may be used in mod- 





s 
Ne ee, 
as ine erately large areas as 
oe on drapes, pillow cov- 
Se ers, scarfs and orna- 
ments. ; 


Tints and shades of 
Yellow complementary colors 
are of course very 
useful for walls and 
other large areas. 


Violet 





198 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


of contrast or by all three principles—contrast of value, 
contrast of hue, contrast of intensity. 

To illustrate these let us take a dark blue, a medium 
light blue tint and a very light sky blue. All are of 
the same color and so there is no contrast of hue (color), 
there is no contrast of intensity, all are greyed. There 
is, however, contrast of value, of light and dark tints 
and the dark blue. 

A combination of pure, intense cobalt blue with a 
light, reddish-blue tint of violet produces contrast of 
values (a light and a dark color) and also contrast of 
hues. The violet tint has a reddish hue in it; it is a 
related color and yet is different because of the red in it. 

The combination of pure, intense cobalt blue and a 
light tint of orange illustrates harmony by three prin- 
ciples: by contrast of value (a light and a dark color) ; 
contrast of hues (two different colors) ; and contrast of 
intensity \4 »ure, intense blue color associated with a 
greyed orange). 

Tones of One Color—Color harmony may be gained 
for rooms by following one of three principles,—by 
using:—1l. Tones of One Color; 2. Related Colors— 
Analogy; 3. Complementary Colors. 

The handling of a color scheme utilizing the prin- 
ciple of self-tones is easy and simple. Wherever a room 
is not to be finished in all white, all black, all grey or 
contrasts of black, white and grey, you are called upon 
to utilize color hues. 

In selecting a color scheme utilizing only tones of 
one color, self-tones, you simply choose one color and 
then add white to it to-make one or several tints of that 
eolor, or black to it to make one or several shades of 
that color. Then, this principal color, with its tints and 
shades, is used for all surfaces in the room, including the 
floor, rug, furniture, walls, wood trim, ceiling, drapes, 
picture frames and vases. 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 199 


By way of illustration, let us consider a specific prob- 
lem. In choosing a color scheme one is seldom able to 
start from the possession of nothing and acquire each 
unit which goes to completely furnish a room in accord- 
ance with the color scheme wanted. Usually there is 
one fixed or invariable element from which the color 
scheme must be constructed. Usually there is a set of 
furniture or a rug which must be used in the room. The 
eolor of this invariable element, then, is your starting 
point. 

Assuming that we have American walnut or brown 
mahogany furniture as a starting point for constructing 
a color scheme from tones of one color, the rug and floor 
should have the same color as the brown of the furni- 
ture, although it may be a bit lighter or darker. The 
walls may be a greyed buff, tan or light brown. The 
wood trim, if stained, should be the same brown as the 
dominant tone in the furniture or it may be painted, or 
enameled in the same color as the wall by utilizing a 
tint which is a few degrees lighter or a shade which is 
a few degrees darker than the wall. This is commonly 
ealled painting out the trim, meaning that it is made 
less prominent. That is very desirable in some rooms 
where there is an excessive amount of wood trim which 
calls attention to itself to the exclusion of the furnish- 
ings. In most instances the walls and wood trim are 
merely a back-ground, or foil, against which the fur- 
nishings of a room are displayed. 

The ceiling in this color scheme would be a light cream 
mixed from raw sienna and white, rather than a yellow 
eream made from chrome yellow. If the ceiling is high 
the cream color can be rather a dark one, but if the 
eeiling is just the average height the cream color should 
be light. 

The drapes in this scheme of self-tones would be in 


i 


200 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


the light browns or tans, while the picture frames would 
be walnut brown. 

If this room is rather dark, or a cool north exposure, 
the walls might be verry light tan bordering on cream 
color and the wood trim and ceiling even of lighter tint 
of the same color. These two light tints of the same 
color should, however, be separated with a band of very 
dark brown, in order to afford considerable contrast of 
values, since there is no contrast of color hues in a self- 
tone color scheme. 

If the room is very light and dark walls are preferred, 
tans and buffs which are greyed can be used on the 
walls and a lighter tint of the same color may be used 
for the ceiling. These two colors should, however, be 
separated by a picture molding or a stencil band of 
very light color—ivory white or cream—to afford con- 
trast of values, since there is no contrast of color hues. 

This points to a principle which is an essential one to 
keep in mind to avoid monotony and weak effects when 
using self-tone color,schemes. The principle is that when. 
two very light tints of the same color are used on walls 
and ceilings, or elsewhere, they should be separated by 
a band of black or very dark self-color; and when two 
very dark shades of the same color are used they should 
be separated with a band of white or very light self- 
eolor. This band may be picture molding, cornice or a 
decorative stencil. 

In color schemes made up of self-tones only there is 
no contrast of color hues, since the same color is used 
throughout. For this reason interest for the mind and 
attraction for the eye are gained by a contrast of values; 
that is, the use of light tints of the color with dark 
shades of the same color. 

The disadvantage of using self-tone color schemes is 
that they constitute an entirely warm effect or an 
entirely cold effect, depending upon whether you choose 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 201 


a warm or a cold color from which to mix the shades 
and tints. Self-tone color schemes are usually passive 
rather than active in stimulating the eye color nerves. 

But, on the other hand, self-tone color schemes are 
very useful for certain rooms. For instance, a sun 
parlor on the south side of the house may appear very 
warm, and, in order to make it restful, cool colors are 
desirable. Then a self-tone color scheme in the greys, 
blue-greens or greenish-blues or cold greys accomplish 
the purpose very well. 

Another illustration of where self-tone color schemes 
are useful is in the case of a summer cottage near a 
beach. The interior of such a home needs the beneficial 
reaction of cool colors to offset the fatigue resulting 
from too much eye stimulation by brilliant, warm colors 
—the yellow beach sand and bright rays of the sun. A 
living room in such a cottage done in greyed-greens and 
ereyed-blues or bluish-greys is altogether restful. 

In the case of a cold north room, which may also be 
dark in a city home, a color scheme of self-tone may be 
needed to contribute a warm atmosphere. In such a 
room, rather bright yellows, orange and warm tans 
accomplish the purpose. 

It should be kept in mind, however, that self-tone color 
schemes are apt to prove uninteresting and tiresome 
where the rooms are used for long periods. This is true 
because the one color of the room over-stimulates a cer- 
tain set of the eye nerves. For continued comfort and 
relaxation the human eye calls for a balance of color 
sensations. This balance can be perfectly gained by 
using all the primary colors—red, blue and yellow. Of 
course, one of these primary colors would be the domi- 
nant or key color used in greatest area of surface. It 
is almost a greyed form of the one primary color, which 
may be light or dark in color hue. The second primary 
eolor in this case may be used in moderate area and 


202 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


should be, also, a subdued or greyed color. The third 
primary color in this instance may be used in its pure 
brilliant tone, but in’ very small area, such as in a single 
vase, lampshade, window drapes or a picture, consti- 
tuting the climax center of interest. 

It is well to keep in mind, also, that the principal 
advantages to be gained by using a self-tone color scheme 
to accomplish a definite purpose—to give a cool effect 
or a quiet, restful effect—may also be accomplished by 
following one of the other two color harmony principles 
—related colors or complementary colors. And the usv 
of the latter two principles has the advantage of afford- 
ing greater interest and a continuously comfortable 
setting. 

Related Colors—Analogy.—The use of this second 
principle for securing color harmony is quite as easy as 
that involving the use of tones of one color. Harmony 
produced by this second principle is more pleasing and 
is likely to be less tiresome after long usage. 

A color scheme to be constructed after the principle 
of related colors is built up at first exactly the same as 
one made by using the first principle—tones of one color. 
Instead of carrying tints and shades of the one color to 
all surfaces of the room, some of the surfaces are given 
one or two related colors. The one principal color 
remains the keynote or dominating hue of the room, 
while a second related color may be used in a fairly 
large but subordinate area of a greyed color hue; another 
related color may be used in a rather pure and bright 
hue but in small area. 

Related colors are such as join each other in the color 
circle which represents the color spectrum of the light 
rays. This will be clearly understood after examining 
the color circle in Plate 8. 

The related color hues are: 

Red is related to orange-red, reddish-orange, orange, 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 203 


orange-yellow, bluish-red, red-violet ; 

Blue is related to greenish-blue, reddish-blue, blue- 
violet, violet, purple; 

Yellow is related to reddish-yellow, orange-yellow, 
orange, lemon-yellow, greenish-yellow ; 

Green is related to yellow, yellow-green, greenish- 
yellow, bluish-green, greenish-blue ; 

Violet is related to blue, blue-violet, reddish-blue, 
reddish-violet, bluish-red ; 

Orange is related to red, reddish-orange, orange- 
red, orange-yellow and reddish-yellow. 

The use of the first and second principles of color 
harmony doesn’t overcome, except in part, the fact that 
a color scheme produced by either principle is composed 
of all warm colors or all cold colors. Even the reddish- 
blues, violets, purples, greenish-yellows and yellowish- 
greens are cold color hues; or at best only moderately 
warm, depending upon how much red or yellow is used 
in their mixing. Blues and greens are cold colors, while 
the yellows, oranges and reds are warm colors. 

By the use of the related color principle interest is 
gained mostly by contrast of values; that is, by using 
light tints and dark shades of one principal color. By 
this principle but little contrast of color hues—one color 
with another—is gained. The interest arousing and sus- 
taining ability of such color schemes is limited. Here, 
too, a balanced stimulation of the eye nerves by colors 
is lacking; the use of complementary colors or of all 
three primary colors is needed to gain perfect balance, 
ereater and sustained interest. 

Color schemes utilizing the principles of related colors 
and self-tones are apt to become monotonous and fail to 
sustain interest, largely because too much uniformity 
exists. ’ 

To avoid this the color scheme plan should include 
ample contrasts of values, hues and intensities as well 


204 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


as a positive climax center of interest. Colorful effects 
and variety can be gained by contrasts of tints and 
shades, of gloss and flat surfaces, and of intensity and 
dullness of the same color. 

Color schemes of related colors usually require the 
addition of moderately intense warm colors like yellows, 
orange or red to supply warmth, variety and interest. 
The grey combinations especially need this stimulating 
treatment, since most grey combinations are cool, passive 
or neutral and a bit heavy. 

Variety and interest are especially to be introduced 
into schemes of related colors and self-tones by use of 
wall panels, stripes, all-over wallpaper or stencil patterns 
and artistic textures of special wall finishes. 

Wherever two tints or two shades equally lght or 
equally dark are used in such color schemes, the con- 
trast of values is little. A weak, uninteresting impres- 
sion is thus givén. To overcome this monotony a band 
of darker or lighter self-color, or of complementary 
color, should be placed between such weak contrasts. 

Color combinations, like tints and shades of yellow 
with yellowish-orange, blue with blue-green, blue with 
violet and purple, constitute harmony of related colors. 
There is no balance of eye stimulation in any of these 
combinations,—a third and complementary color is 
needed. 

Care must be exercised in making color schemes of 
related colors to avoid using two pure, intense colors 
of the same value. Pure blue clashes with pure green of 
the same value, but pure blue with bluish green of 
lighter tint is harmony; pure red with intense orange 
of the same value is a clash, while pure red with light 
orange (mixed with white) gives contrast of values and 
fair harmony. Violet and blue in pure intensity and of 
the same value clash, but white mixed with the violet 
inereases the contrast of values and produces a combi- 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 205 


nation not out of harmony. But the third and con- 
trasting color is needed to complete al. these harmonies. 

Complementary Colors.—Before carrying the study of 
eolor harmony further it will be well to review the 
section’ of Chapter IX which illustrates how comple- 
mentary colors come to exist, and especially the Color 
Card Chart in that chapter. 

The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. The 
complementary, or perfect contrast, for red is a bluish- 
green; the complementary, or perfect contrast, for blue 
is orange; the complementary, or perfect contrast, for 
vellow is violet or purple. 

The easiest way to clarify these associations of color 

is by reference, again,’ to the color circle, Plate 8. 
The complementary, or perfect contrast, for any color 
in the circle is the color which is directly opposite. This 
is strictly true when dealing with light ray colors, and 
it is usually true when handling color pigments. There 
are some slight discrepancies in the latter group, due to 
lack of purity in the colors. One of these discrepancies 
is noticed in the ease of green, which is the comple- 
mentary and opposite color to red in the cirele. In 
color pigments the green which is complementary to red 
_ is a bluish-green. 

Laws of color harmony eall for the use of color in 
pairs in order to produce balanced stimulation to the 
eolor sensitive eye nerves. When the eyes behold one 
eolor too long they become tired and saturated with that 
color. Then the fatigue is relieved by looking upon the 
complementary of that color—the one opposite to its 
position in the color circle. Consequently, eyes fatigued 
with too much red seek green; when saturated with 
yellow they eall for purple; when tired of green they 
eall for violet and red. 

In the construction of color schemes using comple- 
mentary colors there are contrasts of warm colors with 


206 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


cold colors; there are contrasts of unlike colors; there “ 
are contrasts of value coming from the use of light tints 
and dark shades of one or more colors. These contrasts 
are the qualities which add interest to color schemes 
made by utilizing this third principle of color harmony. 
The use of all of these contrasts gives the variety of 
stimulations necessary for comfort and relaxation, for a 
balancing of the stimulations of the eye nerves. When 
these perfect contrasts are attained in a color scheme 
there is a continuous stimulation by one set of colors and 
a reciprocating reaction by other colors which satisfies 
the color sensitive nerves in the human eye. 

For these reasons the use of a complementary second 
or third color hue with.self-tone or related colors makes 
for perfect balance. 

In theory the use of complementary, or perfectly con- 
trasting colors, produces a reciprocating balance of 
sensations which ought to satisfy the eye nerves con- 
tinuously. 

As a matter of fact, however, the use of strong, pure 
colors, even though they contrast perfectly, makes the 
eye weary just as too much excitement or emotion for 
the human body causes fatigue and must be followed by 
a period of calm and rest. 

Consequently, if too much bright red in large areas, 
for example, calls for green and the eyes are saturated 
in turn with green which again calls for red as an 
alternative the continued excitement of one color balane- 
ing the other causes fatigue. Small areas of red and 
green spots do not tire, because usually there are large 
areas of neutral colors to compensate. 

One way to avoid this excitement of bright pure colors 
which contrast in color hues as well as value (equally 
bright, light or dark tones of pure color) is to use colors 
which contrast in color hue but not in value. 

By way of illustration, select colors which are equally 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 207 


light or equally dark; then they contrast in color hue 
but do not contrast in value as when one color is bright, 
pure and light, while the other color is bright, pure 
and dark, 

A dark blue and a dark yellow, a light red and a 
light green are not as tiresome and exciting as are dark 
blue and light yellow or light red and dark green. In 
the first set of colors you have contrast of color hues 
but no contrast of values. In the second set you have 
contrasts of color hues and also contrasts of values. The 
colors may be equally pure and bright in all eases. 

The principle and practice of neutralization should be 
read at this point to understand another way to over- 
come excessive excitement caused by the use of bright 
colors. 

Complementary colors can be greyed by adding white 
or black or, better yet, by adding to one complementary 
eolor a small amount of the other in the mixing. A 
greyish-green is one to which a touch of red or white 
has been added. <A greyish-red is one to which a touch 
of green or white has been added. These two greyed 
eolors complement each other perfectly and contrast in 
both eolor hue and value. They are not tiresome and 
exciting like the pure, intense colors, and they harmonize 
perfectly, not only because they complement each other, 
but because they have been neutralized. 

The handling of color schemes consisting of two com- 
plementary colors for interiors must be thoughtfully 
done. Even though they are in perfect harmony with 
each other, they are too stimulating and exciting in their 
pure, intense state. To subdue them three courses are 
open to pursuit. Small areas of pure color may be used 
for the climax group, or center of interest, but one or 
both colors used in large areas should be subdued. Con- 
sider orange and blue. 

Neutralize the orange.—If the orange is to be used in 


208 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


large area a bit of the blue should be mixed with it. That 
will bring both colors nearer to each other in analogy. 
It will decrease the warmth of the orange. The blue may 
be used rather pure and intense in moderate size areas. 

Neutralize the blue.—If the blue is to be used in large 
area, mix a little of the orange with it. That will neu- 
tralize the blue, add a bit of warmth, reduce its intensity 
and purity and bring it nearer to orange by analogy. 

Neutralizing both complementaries.—When both colors 
are to be used in large areas mix a little of each with the 
other, thus neutralizing both. Then the contrasts of 
Paities and intensities are reduced. 

If considerable of one color is added to the other you 
will change the principle from harmony of complemen- 
tary colors to harmony of related colors—analogy. It 
changes the combination from one of interest in different 
eolors to interest in like colors. 

Color combinations may be subdued or toned down in 
the same manner by mixing white with one or both 
colors. This is called greying the color. If white is 
added to only one of the colors you decrease its intensity 
and the contrast of hue, but you increase the contrast 
of values. If white is added to both colors you grey 
both, decrease the contrast of intensity and the contrast 
of values remains as it was. 

The mixture of black with either or both colors reduces 
contrast of value and intensity. 

Stippled Pure Colors.—An association of pure, intense 
complementary colors when both are used in small spots, 
superimposed on a neutral light colored ground coat, 
as in the sponge stipple wall finishes, creates a vibrat- 
ing middle tone. And as the spots are made smaller the 
two colors blend or are mottled and the contrast is lost 
in a tone between the two colors. 

Color schemes based on the use of complementary 
eolors are likely to produce too much variety of contrasts, 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT: 209 


likely to set up competing interests and rivals for atten- 
tion, unless skill is used in securing unity and continuity. 

A well ordered plan will organize areas, locations and 
intensities of colors; it is one which definitely establishes 
a clear-cut climax as the center of interest and one 
which neutralizes or greys all but the climax colors. 

Neutralizing and Greying Colors——Harmony in color 
combinations as used generally by decorators is gained 
by the addition of white to subdue pure, bright colors, 
as well as by the use of complementary colors, related 
colors and self-tones of one color. Then one character- 
istic (the white) runs through all the colors used and 
that is what assures harmony. A bright color is greyed 
by mixing white with it. 

The artist painter, however, neutralizes his bright 
eolor on canvas for backgrounds, shadows and inter- 
mediary tones by mixing with. such color its comple- 
mentary, the color opposite to it on the circle. Plate 8. 

The tertiary colors—olives, citrine and russet—are 
neutralized colors. Hues of red, blue, yellow, violet, 
purple, orange and green go into their make-up. 

Wall surfaces are always a background and therefore 
subdued colors are essential. Neutralized and greyed 
colors constitute a foil for a few bright colors used in 
small area in the decorations or furnishings. 

Neutralization is a necessary part of every color 
scheme. The very shadows of nature—dull blues, violet, 
green and brown—approach black and are neutralized 
color. 

The ground color for an object, a wall or a painting, 
may be mixed a neutral color, or neutralization in effect 
may be gained as the ancient Egyptians often did,—by 
using white, gold and black along with pure, intense 
colors. The white, gold and black in a color scheme 
meutralize or compensate for strong colors. 

In the color schemes of the Italian and French peoples, 


210 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


who are noted for their masterly use of color, the three 
primary colors red, blue and yellow, mixed together to 
neutralize them, often enter. A bright color may be 
broken with white to grey it, or it may be broken by 
mixing with it a very dark neutral color (black) 
gained by mixing the three primary colors together. 
And, of course, in their color schemes there is usually 
a dominant color tone in evidence, the neutralized, 
broken eolors serving as foil or background for the 
dominant color. 

Many ancient peoples used colors which were neutral 
or greyed, rather than the brilliant, pure colors of our 
day. The Egyptians often and the Assyrians especially 
were noted for their masterly use of these to produce 
color harmony. The red so much used by ancient artists 
of Japan was a yellow red, while their blue was a neu- 
tral, greyish blue. The blue of the Persians so evident 
in rugs was greenish in hue and a violet-blue was its 
contrast. Pompelian red is really a complex color which 
ean be produced now only with vermilion, ochre, raw 
and burnt sienna and a bit of raw and burnt umber. 
Pompeiian yellow is an orange yellow having a touch 
of blue in its makeup. Pompeiian black results from the 
mixture of red, blue and yellow, the primary colors. 

If it were not for the principles of neutralization and 
ereying of colors, colorists would have a difficult time 
of it. With only intense colors, black, white and gold 
harmony in color schemes is easy to get, but such combi- 
nations are far too eye-stimulating for most interiors, 
and especially for living rooms, sleeping rooms, libraries 
and school rooms, where a restful, passive and subdued 
atmosphere is essential. Such color treatments are pos- 
sible only by using greyed colors and neutral colors 
producing contrast values of low tones. 

What is especially to be remembered about neutraliz- 
ing and greying of colors is that when you have mixed 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 211 


two or more colors of strong intensity and are at ail 
doubtful about the harmony of the combination, you 
can assure harmony by the addition of a little white to 
both eolors to grey them; or by mixing a little of one 
color with the other you can gain harmony by neutrali- 
_zation—by making them related colors. 

Nearly all very light tints of all colors harmonize with 
each other, some better than others, because they are 
neutralized or greyed or both neutralized and greyed. 
In other words, the thread of neutral or greyed tone 
may run through all such tints and ties them together 
in harmony. 

The Law of Simultaneous Contrast.—There is no such 
thing as a color which is constant under all conditions 
as to appearance to the human eye. 

The character of a color is always relative. The 
appearance of a color differs always, depending upon 
the amount of light it receives, whether it is sunlight, 
electric light or gas light and especially does the appear- 
ance differ according to what other color or colors 
surround it. 

Any two colors will change in character when placed 
beside each other and when one is superimposed upon 
the other. One influences the other in its stimulation 
of the eye nerves. 

A light grey placed beside black or any dark color 
appears lighter because of the contrast of values. 

A dark grey placed beside white, light grey or a light 
color tint appears darker, because the contrast in values 
is great. 

For strong display and striking color schemes this 
reat contrast in values is essential. Moderate contrast 
in values is desirable to create interest in interior color 
schemes, but it 1s possible to produce a contrast in values 
so strong as to be a discordant note in a room and which - 
breaks in on the continuity or unity of the color scheme. 


212 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


When the purity, depth and brilliance of dark colors 
like blue, green, purple, violet and the shades of these 
colors are to be enhanced, place alongside of them. light 
greys, tints of colors or white. 

When the purity, depth and brilliance of light colors 
like yellow, orange and red is to be enhanced, place 
alongside of them dark greys, shades of colors and black. 

A color displayed on a white or grey background may 
appear bright and pure, but when it is displayed on its 
complementary color as a background it will be even 
brighter and more intense. For instance, a red spot on 
a green field-not only appears brighter and more intense, 
but the green, too, is more intense. 

Colors which are related to each other by analogy, 
such as yellow, orange-yellow and greenish-yellow, have 
little contrast in value and when one is superimposed 
upon the other it tends to dull the other. 

The use of a pure, bright color superimposed upon a 
greyed color tends to deaden the grey, if the grey is 
not complementary. A pure yellow is not in good har- 
mony with dull red, greyed orange or greyed browns, 
but, on the other hand, a pure, bright yellow adds life 
and intensity to a greyed blue. 

The greatest display strength is secured by the use of 
complementary colors together and when one is very 
pure and strong and light in value, while the other 
is pure and strong- but dark in value. Such a combi- 
nation is useful, however, only for very small areas in 
decoration,—what decorators call jewel points. In large 
areas these intense contrasts in both color hue and value 
are too exciting and are tiresome. 

Decorators and artists depend upon the law of simul- 
taneous contrast for brilliance and intensity of display 
by placing small areas of pure, intense complementary 
eolors in contrast with each other. 

In other words, bright color schemes can be con- 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 213 


structed by using pure, intense colors, but the fullest 

intensity and brilliances comes from the association and 

contrast of those colors with their complementary colors. 

Red placed alongside of green appears redder and the 
ereen appears greener;—their purity or degrees of 
intensity are increased by the close association. <A bit 
of blue tapestry near a heavy gold picture frame appears 
bluer while the gold appears yellower. 

The point about the manner in which one color influ- 
ences another which should be remembered is this: 
A color tends to project its complementary color into 
adjowming colors. Thus:— 

Red alongside of any color tends to add a greenish hue 
(its complementary) to colors associated with it :— 

Red causes green to appear brighter and more 
intense ; 

Red causes yellow to appear greenish in hue; 

Red causes orange to appear browner ; 

Red causes warm, yellowish grey to appear neutral 
or cooler; 

Red causes cold, bluish grey to appear colder. 

Blue placed alongside of any color tends to add an 
orange-yellow hue (its complementary color) to colors 
associated with it :— 

Blue causes orange-yellow to appear more intense 
and brighter ; 

Blue causes red to appear yellowish in hue; 

Blue causes warm, yellowish grey to appear even 
warmer ; 

Blue causes cool, bluish grey to appear warm or 
neutral. | 

Yellow placed alongside of any color tends to add a 
purple or violet hue (its po UEC a Ly eolor) to 
eolors associated with it :— 

Yellow causes purple or violet to appear more in- 
tense and brighter. 


214 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Yellow causes red to appear violet or purple in hue; 
Yellow causes warm, yellowish grey to appear neu- 
tral or cool; 
Yellow causes cool, blue grey to appear cooler. 
Green placed alongside of any other color tends to add 

a violet hue to colors associated with it. Its action is 

the same as that of yellow in this respect :— 

Green causes violet to appear more intense, brighter ; 

Green causes yellow to appear less intense by throw- 
ing a violet hue into it; 

Green will cause red to have a slight violet hue; 

Green will cause warm, yellowish grey to appear 
neutral or cool; 

Green will cause cool, blue-grey to appear cooler and 
to have a violet hue. 

Violet placed alongside of any color tends to add a 
greenish hue to colors associated with it :— 

Violet causes green to appear more intense, brighter ; 

Violet causes yellow to appear greenish in hue: 

Violet causes red to appear brownish in hue; 

Violet causes warm, yellowish grey to appear cool or 
neutral ; 

Violet causes cool, blue-grey to appear cooler and 
bluer. 

The satisfaction found in the contemplation of. color 
harmony is explained by psychologists as a result of 
uneonsecious appreciation of balanee. The activity of 
the color sense, as is the case with the senses of taste 
and hearing, becomes intensified by contrast. The palate 
is more responsive to a bitter taste if already cloyed by 
sweets. Sound seems the greater if arising out of the 
stillness of solitude. The nerves of the eye, wearied by 
the excitement produced by red, are quick to appreciate 
the restfulness of green. As a result of this peculiarity 
a color appears to tinge with its complementary any 
adjoining surface. For this reason green is becoming 


‘ 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 215 


to a woman who is pallid. The eye apparently sees a 
tint of red in her face. 

Colors Influence Life.—Science proves that character 
and personality are molded by the walls and furnishings 
with which we live. Color creates environment which 
either stimulates or depresses the mind. Colors may be 
selected as we choose music,—to produce cheery atmos- 
phere, warmth, harmony. 

Every color of the solar spectrum exercises a corre- 
sponding human emotion. These emotions give rise to 
various states of mind, such as happiness, serenity, 
excitement, gloom, depression, irritation. Too much of 
red excites and irritates, while too much of blues and 
violet depresses. 

Certain colors, odors, sounds and substances produce 
stronger reactions on some people than on others. Pink 
and vivid violets cause some people to suffer nervous 
irritation and depression due to too much stimulation of 
their color sensitive eye nerves. 

Some colors, on the other hand, possess curative 
powers ;—chrome yellow, for example, has been found 
excellent for shell shock victims. And in one experiment 
a large number of patients in a hospital for those suffer- 
ing from mental and nervous disorders showed remark- 
able reactions to color. On dull, gloomy days these 
patients were very irritable and difficult to manage. 
But when removed to a large room decorated in sunshine 
effects to reproduce sunlight as nearly as possible with 
yellow orange decorations, these patients soon returned 
to their normal actions noticed on bright days. 

Another illustration of color influence was given when 
a large number of girls in a reformatory were allowed 
some liberty in color taste. When all were required to 
dress exactly alike and to oceupy rooms or cells colored 
alike, these girls marked the walls and disfigured them 
greatlv. Runt when each was permitted to select. the 


216 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


color for her cell and was also allowed some liberty in 
the color of her dress, a pride and interest was awakened 
which caused them to cease marking up the walls and to 
be less difficult of management. 

Apparently there is quite as much pleasure and satis- 
faction to humans gained from exercising individual 
taste in color as in music and other things in life. 

How Colors Appeal to Us.—Colors convey an impres- 
sion of temperature—warm and cold colors; an im- 
pression of foree—active, advancing colors and passive 
and receding colors; an impression of weight—dark 
colors and shades seem heavy, while white and tints seem 
light in weight. 

It should. be noted that complementary colors such as 
purple or violet and yellow, bluish green and red, orange 
and blue, balanee each other perfectly in the above 
qualities ;— 


purple is cold, passive, heavy, receding; 
vellow is warm, active, light, advancing. 


oreen is cold, passive, heavy, receding ; 
red is warm, active, ight, advancing. 


blue is cold, passive, heavy, receding ; 
orange is warm, active, light, advancing. 


In consequence of these facts, complementary colors 
not only are in harmony by perfect contrast, but used 
in pairs they supply balanced stimulation of the color 
sensitive nerves of the eyes. 

The eye nerves of one kind become exhausted when 
exposed to one color too long. The degree of fatigue 
produced by a color is in direct ratio to the intensity of 
the color, and the relief is found in the exact complement 
of the color. Fatigued nerves tend to eall up vision of 
the color which is complementary to the color causing 
the exhaustion. Thus, over-exposure to red is balanced 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT alt 


by green; over-exposure to green calls for red; over- 
exposure to yellow calls for purple or violet; over- 
exposure to orange calls for blue, ete. 

Light tints and colors convey an impression of youth 
and gaiety. 

Dark colors are mysterious, sober, sedate, sombre, 
mature and dignified, as they appeal to our moods. 

Warm colors are exciting, stimulating and active. 

Greyed colors are, apparently, a bit sophisticated and 
melancholy, though very restful. 

Orange is the most exciting’ color, yellow-green is the 
most tranquilizing color, and violet is the most subduing 
eolor. 

Cold, Sombre Colors.— 


Blue Violet 
Gray Purple 
Green White 


Green is a cold color only when the blue in its com- 
position predominates. These colors seem cool perhaps 
because associated with the colors of large areas of water, 
ice and the colors of nature. 

Warm, Cheerful Colors.— 

Red Yellow Tan Ivory Pink 
Orange Brown Cream Old Rose Buff 
Green (when toned with yellow, red or orange) 
Warm Grey (has red or yellow in its make-up) 

Restful Colors.— 


Browns 

Olives 

Sage Green | 

Srey Green | These make an excellent back- 
}treens ground for pictures also. 
Tans 

Warm Grey 

Old Blue 


218 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Colors which harmonize by analogy, especially when 
pure in tone, suggest quiet, repose and rest. 


Excitable, Tiresome, Irritating Colors.— 


Bright Red Bright Blue 
Bright Orange Terra Cotta 
Bright Yellow Emerald Green 


Black is cold, heavy in weight, receding, and passive. 
In combinations where black predominates it ought to 
be balanced by active colors with high contrast of value; 
intense, pure red, orange and deep yellow like gold are 
most effective in balancing large areas of black. Black 
enriches the beauty and emphasizes the intensity of 
these colors. Silver and bright green also makes a 
pleasing combination with black. 

White is warm, active, advancing, and light in weight. 
Combinations to have strong display contrasts are formed 
with white by the addition of dark, cool colors like 
intense blue, green and purple or violet. Which of 
these colors should be used to complement white depends 
upon the character of the white. Whites have a blue, 
yellow, red or grey hue. 

Poorly selected colors make folks weary, restless and 
irritable, but they do not always recognize the cause of 
the disturbance unless the color scheme is very unusual. 

Colors That Give Distance—Largeness.—In the color 
schemes of nature, the green, blue and grey of the ocean 
and sky predominate and these are the colors which in 
their lighter tones produce the effect of distance and 
largeness. But as solid, strong colors these, like all 
dark colors, would cause a wall or object to seem nearer. 
They ought to be used in light tints. 

Receding colors—blue, green and grey—give a sense 
of spaciousness; and the advancing colors, such as red 
and yellow, bring the object nearer us. If an apartment 
be too large and barn-like, it is no difficult matter to 


COLOR HARMONY AND MANAGEMENT 219 


make it seem smaller by the use of a warm, advancing 
color scheme. Contrariwise, in the case of cramped, 
small rooms, we may actually seem to have gained room 
by the choice of cool, retiring blue, green or grey. 

Lack of harmony in a color scheme isn’t the only tire- 
some element in color. Some colors are very active and 
advancing, while others are receding. And these quali- 
ties are relative. 

_ Pure, intense blues and greens are receding colors as 
compared to orange and reds, but pure blues and greens 
are advancing and nerve fatiguing as compared to 
greyed blues and greyed greens, 

Color and Artificial Light—Careful selection of a 
eolor scheme for rooms will take artificial light into 
consideration, since most rooms are used with both day- 
light and artificial light. 

Certain colors change considerably under the influence 
of artificial light. The color spectrum differs somewhat 
in its colors when the source of light is a burning gas 
or electricity rather than sunlight. 

_ Light blues are nearly invisible in night light. There 
are, however, night blues which do retain their color 
intensity better under the rays of artificial light. Pure 
blue appears almost black at night. 

Colors like yellowish green appear to lose their yellow 
hue at night and become more bluish green in hue. 
Creams, yellows and light tans are greyed, while orange 
becomes more reddish in hue under artificial lighting. 

Pure yellow which is free from a greenish or reddish 
tinge appears under artificial light to be almost white. 
Searlet appears normal but brighter. Bright pure bluish 
green appears normal but a little dull. 

Other changes noticeable under the influence of elec- 
tric or gas lights are: 

Azure Blue appears grey and dull. 
Cadet Blue appears soft and dull. 


220 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Peacock Blue appears soft and dull. 
Old Blue appears soft and dull. 
Robin’s Egg Blue appears grey and dull. 
Brown appears softer. 

Buff appears to be little changed. 
Grey appears softer. 

Green appears softer. 

Lavender appears adversely affected. 
Maroon appears softer. 

Pink appears adversely faded. 
Purple appears black. 

Reds appear to be little changed. 
Rose appears adversely affected. 
Salmon appears faded. 

Terra Cotta appears softer. 

Violet appears to be little changed. 
Yellow appears softer and faded. 

Knowing these changes which occur at night, a good 
decorator will count on them. Color schemes which 
include yellows as principals will be so balanced that 
night light will not make them too weak. More reddish 
or brownish hues will be given the yellows. _ 

Correction of color schemes which lose their balance 
and interest at night can be made by using lampshades 
which project yellow light where needed. Colored lamp 
bulbs casting colored lights which blend into a color 
scheme can be most effectively used with a little study. 


Se 


CHAPTER XIII 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 


Probably the first idea of importance when one starts 
out to construct a color scheme for any room is that of 
making a plan which will consider the room completely 
furnished as a whole. It is quite impossible to intelli- 
gently select colors for walls, wood trim, floors and ceil- 
ings without knowing the kind, character and color of 
the furniture, drapes and accessories in general, which 
are to be used as a part of the room. And yet this is 


done every day; more rooms are decorated without refer- 


ence to the furnishings than after a plan which includes 
everything. As people in the mass become better edu- 
eated in the artistic use of color and design, this arbi- 
trary selection of colors for wall surfaces of rooms will 
diminish. 

There is under way today a great renaissance of color, 
a revival of interest in color which is giving even greater 
impetus to the painting, decorating and printing in- 


dustries. 


Intense interest is being aroused in the great masses 
of people in better and more extensive use of colors. 
Decorators, painters, printers, factory finishers of furni- 
ture, textiles and all who use color, are confronted with 
the necessity for learning more about the tasteful and 
harmonious use of colors. A greater knowledge of color 
pigments, liquids, theory of color and principles of color 
law is imperative for those who would keep abreast of 
the times. 

Having a plan for a color scheme makes one consider 
the room as a whole and points to the wisdom of correlat- 

221 


222 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


ing colors, textures and designs; it makes one construct 
the harmony of a room as an author constructs his story 
and as an artist plans his composition on canvas or in 
music. 3 

The lack of a plan and organized thought in selecting 
color schemes is largely responsible for most failures to 
acquire harmony. 

A lecturer who talks and talks aimlessly, who just 
rambles hither and yon, soon exhausts the patience and 
interest of his audience. A story in fiction and a drama 
without plot, direction, progression and climax is a flat 
failure. There is little or no difference between these 
and attempted decoration of a room to gain harmony of 
eolor in architecture and furnishings. We accept these 
flat failures because we have grown accustomed to them, 
and we live with them for years, all the while being 
influenced unfavorably in mentality and physically by 
them, unknowingly, as a rule. 

When a thoughtful plan has been made all furnish- 
ings and colors, textures and designs going into a room 
are selected with reference to the whole room as a unit. 
Of course, the question does arise with most people when 
they buy furniture, drapes or other furnishings, as to 
‘‘how it will go with this or that,’’ but even then there 
is usually no plan for the whole room; anxiety is present 
only lest one piece of furnishings should clash with 
another. How all correlate and fit together doesn’t 
concern one as often as it should. 

There ought to be less promiscuous buying of wall- 
papers, drapes, cretonne, cushions, scarfs, pictures, rugs, 
pottery and vases. When this is accomplished much 
more success will be gained in constructing beautiful, 
restful and harmonious interiors. The discords will be 
eliminated and disorder will change to artistic arrange- 
ment. 

The beauty of art is not a thing apart from all else. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 223 


It is part of everyday life of people and is expressed 
constantly in the construction of private and public 
buildings. 

Real beauty, art, comes from the satisfaction one feels 
when the eye, the intellect and the affections are satisfied. 

Ornamentation, which is decoration, should add to the 
beauty of a structure as a whole. It is not necessary to 
the utility of a structure or article of merchandise, and 
it is bad decoration if it interferes with utility. 

The result of good decoration should be a color effect 
as a whole,—not colors. 

In color management, selecting colors which go well 
together is largely a matter of mathematically following 
rules; choosing colors which go well together is simply 
a matter of knowing colors and color principles. 

The big thing in creating color schemes which are not 
only in harmony but which possess the quality of interest 
and have the power to sustain that interest indefinitely, 
is organization. 

The difficult task is that of making a plan for color 
treatment of a room, gaining harmony by contrast of 
values, hues and intensities, harmony in balance, pro- 
portion and rhythm. That ealls for judicious selection 
of bright and dull, warm and eool, advancing and 
receding colors, gloss and flat, large and small areas, 
location, repetition and arrangement of colors. 

The perfect color scheme sustains interest, it is livable 
and grows on one. It possesses neither great variety 
nor great likeness. 

Too much variety causes restlessness; discord and 
chaos are extreme degrees of variety in contrasts of 
values, hues or intensities. Too much variety in music 
or anything else is chaotic. 

Too much of sameness, likeness and uniformity, on 
the other hand, dispels interest and is the extreme in 
* monotony. 


224 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Climaxes and Centers of Interest.—Just as a drama 
and a story require a climax to make an entertaining, 
harmonious unit which sustains interest, so also must 
perfect and practical color schemes have climaxes. 

Centers of interest which constitute climaxes are essen- 
tial as elements around which the color schemes can be 
constructed. 

A climax in a room may be a brilliant, intense colored 
vase, a bit of white statuary or a bouquet of flowers 
arranged in a vase and grouped on a table so the light 
will refiect them in a mirror. The climax may be a 
fine book in art binding of pure, intense color arranged 
on a very light colored or white scarf on a table; it may 
be a rather large picture the colors of which are pure 
and intense and contrasting with great vigor. Window 
drapes of bright color greyed somewhat are too often the 
climax of a room. 

As a rule the climax color of a room is very bright, 
but should be used in comparatively small area. 

If pure, intense colors are used in more than one 
center of interest, unless the room is large, anti-climaxes 
will be present and the effectiveness of the color plan will 
be injured. Then the room will not be so restful and 
inviting. Stimulation for the eye nerves will come from 
too many sources in competition with each other for 
attention, those who live in the room become weary and 
uneasy without knowing the cause. 

To be sure of balance in a color scheme, the rule to 
follow is that of having a small area of pure, intensely 
brilliant color balance a large area of dull, greyed and 
subdued color. 

The principle of constructing a color scheme around 
a climax doesn’t mean that all the colors except those 
in the climax group must be very dull greys or very low — 
contrasts of value in other colors. 

Moderate contrasts of values in self-tints and shades 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 225 


of the keynote color are permissible; moderate contrasts 
of values and of greyed hues of related colors may be 
used to good effect, too. And even complementary 
colors, considerably greyed or neutralized by the addi- 
tion of white or complementary colors, can be used to 
add cheer and avoid a too sombre atmosphere in the color 
scheme before the climax color is introduced. 

These related colors and subdued complementary 
colors may well occur in the rugs, drapes, pictures, 
pottery and odd furnishings. 

Appropriateness of Color Schemes.—The eternal fit- 
ness of things has most forceful illustration in the selec- 
tion of color schemes for various rooms. 

In a ladies’ bedroom we may fittingly employ the 
light, delicate and airy tints,—greys, grey-greens, pale 
pink and silver, the delicate yellows and pale blues; but 
in the trophy room of a men’s club such delicate har- 
mony would be ridiculous. There more forceful, strong 
coloring, though in harmony, is needed. And there the 
use of quietly insistent complementary colors and 
stronger contrasts of values, hues and intensities are 
ealled for. 

A millinery shop calls for a different handling of 
delicate colors in harmony. A novel and more colorful 
treatment and arrangements of colors to display greater 
strength of contrasts than in a lady’s bedroom are 
needed. 

The brilliant display of gold, vermilion, ivory and 
intense blues of the circus wagon finds no appropriate 
place in the decoration of home interiors. Although the 
decoration of a business display room for powerful 
machinery ought by all means to make use of fairly 
intense complementary colors with strength of contrast 
of values. 

Colors must fit the purpose for which a room is used 
quite as much as is true in the case of merchandise. A 


226 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


strong and powerful piece of farm machinery is appro- 
priately colored in intense reds and greens; it would 
look ridiculous painted in the baby blue or pink of a 
child’s bed or high chair. 

Balancing a Color Scheme——On certain occasions a 
room is purposely decorated to give a warm or a cold 
atmosphere, as when a cold north bedroom is decorated 
warmly, or an excessively hot south room is given a cool 
atmosphere by decorative treatment. Also some rooms, 
like a dance hall, for example, are planned to have a 
very active, lively color scheme, while a library or school 
room ealls for quiet, subdued, restful treatment. 

The average room, however, needs a decorative plan 
which is well balanced between warm and cold tones, 
active and passive design. Neither too warm and stimu- 
lating, too cool and chilly, nor so neutral and drab as to 
be cheerless and uninteresting. 

This balance of harmony and atmosphere is gained by 
judicious handling of pattern, texture or design on walls; 
skill in the use of bright, intense colors, warm and cool 
eolors, greyed and neutral tints and shades, and, more 
specifically, by skill in creating contrasts of value 
(neither too high nor too low), contrasts of color hue 
and contrasts of color intensity. 

Great care should be taken to avoid having extreme 
contrasts by all three methods—value, hue and intensity 
—at the same time. Self-tones and related colors may 
be fairly strong in contrast of value if they are greyed 
or neutralized without proving too stimulating to the eye. 

Comfort and a sense of well-being in humans results 
from balance. How we react to temperature and to 
light and dark indicates comfort, balance, or lack of 
them. Color may put us at ease in comfort or throw a 
human completely off balance, if there be lack of har- 
mony or too large an area of strong, brilliant color. 
Such color tires the eye, as do also weak, washed-out 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 227 


colors. The sense of balance seems to come from near 
the greys in the color scale. 

Upon the area of strong color the balance of a color 
scheme also depends. We like strong colors, but in small 
amounts. A comparatively small spot of bright red, 
yellow or blue will balance a great area of grey and 
other dull, harmonizing color tints and shades. So 
bright colors only excite and fatigue the eye when used 
in large areas. 

And, of course, the general principle requiring that 
a gradation of color from floor to ceiling should exist 
should not be lost sight of. Walls ought to be a lighter 
tone than the floor; ceiling ought to be lighter tone than 
the wall. This is a contrast of values; the contrast 
should not be great; just a pleasing gradation from the 
bottom up as in nature with its black or dark colored 
earth to its light blue sky. 

Dark colors on top or in the middle just naturally 
throws a color scheme out of balance. Dark eolors ap- 
pear heavy, as do also bright colors in certain combina- 
tions with light tints, and the laws of gravity place 
weight at the bottom. That is, then, the agreeable, na- 
tural and pleasing arrangement. 

Color Schemes for the Inning Room.—The living room, 
as the name suggests, has ever been the place where most 
of the family life is spent, where friends and visitors are 
entertained. Here should be created an atmosphere of 
comfort, relaxation and quiet refinement. 

Extraordinary or novel effects in this room might 
entertain or amuse the guests, but they are sure to 
become tiresome to the family. Such decoration doesn’t 
sustain interest well and is likely to be too stimulating 
to associate with seven days in the week. A conventional 
and conservative expression of good taste in decoration 
is more fitting in the living room. 

The color note may be any of the greyed or neutral 


228 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


tints and shades. Tans, moderately hght browns, warm 
greys, old blue, grey-green and neutral blue-green, dull 
russett, buff, olive or sage green, warm drab and Bedford 
stone are some of the colors which are suitable. 

The selection of a color scheme for a room where there 
is one invariable element, that is, where the furniture 
or rug has already been selected must necessarily pro- 
ceed from the color of such furniture or rugs. In other 
words, the keynote color of the room must be that of 
the rug or*furniture related to or complementary to 
them. 

This keynote color may, of course, contrast with the 
rug or furniture in color hue and in value, using lighter 
tints and darker shades. The character of the room 
coloring may be made either warm or cool in general 
atmosphere, even when starting from a fixed element of 
eolor, like furniture and rugs, which are apt to be of 
warm tones. Likewise, the color scheme can be either 
receding or advancing in character, depending upon the 
size and shape of the room. 

For the purpose of illustration, let us assume that we 
have a new living room without color, except the natural 
new colors of walls, wood trim and floor. 

The first consideration is the size and shape of the 
room. Is it too small and does it require giving: appar- 
ently increased size? Is it a large room in which a wide 
range of choice in colors, textures and designs is offered ? 
Are the ceilings quite high, affording an opportunity to 
use fairly dark colors, or are they low, requiring very 
light colors? Is the room quite ornate, architecturally, 
or is it plain and simple? Is there a large amount of 
wood trim or is it of a type which has no door or window 
casings? Are the walls oceupied largely with built-in 
furniture, resulting in comparatively small wall area? 
Are the wall surfaces continuous or are they broken up - 
hy trim, by wood paneling or by paneling with moldings ? 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 229 


When you have made a study of the room and have a 
clear idea of its character in answer to these questions, 
the next step in making a color scheme plan is to decide 
on a keynote color. Is the general color atmosphere to 
be very light, moderately light or quite dark? Is the 
eolor feeling of the room to be warm, cool or simply 
neutral? What are the color preferences of the people 
who are to occupy the room? These should be consid- 
ered but should not be allowed to dominate the color 
scheme unless they coincide with the other elements 
involved. ) 

What is the character of the hght—is the room flooded 
with sunlight, is it moderately light, or is artificial light 
depended upon much of the time? 

Until one is experienced in the selection of color 
schemes, the safest method to pursue as the first step 
is to choose one keynote color and then follow the prin- 
ciple of harmony by using self-tones—leghter tints and 
darker shades of that color for the surfaces of larzest 
area, which are the walls, the floor and ceiling. Then 
to this related colors can be added in a limited way to 
gain additional harmony by the principle of analogy; 
or as one becomes more skilled complementary colors 
which are in perfect contrast with the keynote color may 
be used in a greyed tone and in small areas. 

The accomplishment sought in working with these 
principles of color harmony should be to construct a 
color scheme which is rather subdued, low in tone and 
quietly harmonious. This refers not alone to the colors 
for walls, floor, ceilings and trim, but also to the selec- 
tion of furniture, rugs, pictures and usually the window 
drapes. 

Special care should be exercised to avoid the use of 
large and fairly large areas of white, such as glaringly 
white lace curtains, dresser scarfs and table covers. The 
use of rather large white mats on pictures is especially 


230 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


a glaring weakness of many interior color schemes, 
because they give the effect of a hole in the wall. There 
is little reason to have a mat on many pictures, but 
when a mat is used it should be very subdued in color, 
should be a self-tone with the dominating color of the 
picture and frame, or it should be covered with a fabric 
which will tone in with the picture, the frame and the 
wall. The general color scheme of a room may be good, 
and yet, if a comparatively large area of white in lace 
curtains, picture mats, scarfs or table covers are present 
they are a discord in the harmony because they attract 
too much attention to themselves. These furnishings 
should be of such a color hue as will harmonize with the 
sxeneral keynote color of the room as a soft tint or shade, 
as a related color, or as a very much greyed comple- 
mentary color. 

The whole color atmosphere of a room should be so 
quietly harmonious up to this point that when a stranger 
steps into the room for the first time no single element 
will draw attention to itself immediately. The general 
atmosphere should be comparable to a chord of music in 
its harmony. In other words, your contrasts of color 
values—light tints and dark shades of the key color— 
related colors and complementary colors in greyed small 
areas should constitute one harmonious whole. 

Having accomplished this much, there remains one 
more element to direct in completing the plan for the 
eolor scheme. This is to introduce a climax around 
which the whole harmony revolves. This climax may be 
composed of a small area of bright color or comple- 
~entary colors, and it may take one of several forms. 

The climax may be a brightly colored vase full of 
Aowers on a mantel, on a bookcase or on a table in a 
iivinge room; it may be a brilliant vase and flowers on a 
small table before a mirror in a reception hall in which 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 231 


the mirror, table and the vase are grouped to form a 
pleasing symphony of color and form. 

This climax or feature of special interest in a room 
may be a bit of statuary in white or bright colors, it 
may be a rich scarf or table cover, or it may be a pic- 
ture of brilliant hue of one or more colors. In other 
words, the charm of a room results largely from direct- 
_ Ing the attention of one entering the room to one taste- 
fully constructed group or element in that room. 

The same principle applies to the bedroom with its 
beds and beautiful drapes freatured, or with a vase of 
flowers displayed on a dresser before a mirror, or with 
its beautiful dominant picture. 

The climax of the dining room is the completely deco- 
rated and furnished table with the meal spread ready 
for guests; in a library the climax feature may be the 
brightly colored book bindings or it may be a beautiful 
picture in bright colors, and if neither of these it may 
be a bright bit of statuary or vase on the desk. 

At times the climax or center of interest is the window 
drapes, but it is much better to subdue these in favor 
of some other feature of interest in the room. There is 
often good reason for using brightly colored drapes, and 
this can still be done if the colors are subdued or of a 
ereyed character; they may be bright and yet be subdued 
with overdrapes so as to avoid competition for attention 
with the real climax of the room. 

Color Schemes for the Dining Room.—The atmosphere 
which is sought in decorating a dining-room is one which 
will radiate an impression of good cheer. What we 
should seek to accomplish is not alone an atmosphere of 
good cheer but, also, to impart a sense of comfort, 
warmth and relaxation. 

Probably the color harmony principle of using related 
colors is most commonly useful and the color should be 


232 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


in the medium dark values, rather than extremely hght 
or very dark. Intensely stimulating colors for the gen- 
eral tone ought not to be used. 

If a color scheme selected using light colors tends to 
appear a bit sombre and too dull the atmosphere of the 
room can easily be given a cheerful note by the use of a 
small area of complementary color in the pictures, in 
vases and window drapes. 

After all, the decoration of a dining-room should pro- 
duce a quiet, rather low toned harmony as between the 
walls, ceiling, wood-trim, furniture and drapes. The 
central point of interest, the climax, in a dining-room 
setting is composed of dishes and the table decorations. 
There should be nothing about the walls, drapes or fur- 
nishings of the room which is so bright and advancing 
as to compete for attention with the dishes, decorations 
and food upon the table. 

For specific suggestions these colors might be con- 
sidered: Delft blue, old blue, dull grayed orange or 
russet, sage green, gray-green, dark tans, leather brown 
and dark French gray. 

Color Schemes for Kitchens.—In the past few years 
there has been what might be called a great reformation 
in the furnishing and decorating of kitchens. It is quite 
likely that the advertising of kitchen furniture, utensils 
and equipment is largely responsible for this, because 
this vast amount of advertising has pictured in the 
magazines how beautiful and inviting the atmosphere of 
a kitchen can be. 

In this day we like to have a kitchen appear just as 
bright, spick and span as it really is. This appearance 
ean be gained by the ‘handling of colors for the kitchen. 
In the first place smooth walls are preferable to rough 
textures. Gloss or semi-gloss is preferred to a flat lus- 
treless surface. There is a practical reason back of this 
also. In a kitchen there is a daily releasing of steam 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 233 


laden with more or less grease from cooking; also there 
is bound to be more or less smoke. Accumulations of 
smoke and grease occur on the walls and ceiling. If the 
walls have a gloss and are smooth they can readily be 
washed, whereas rough walls accumulate dirt and hold 
it. Flat walls spot easily and cannot be washed, at least 
not more than once. 

Dark colors do not give the right appearance in kit- 
ehens. The color should be light, bright and cheerful as 
well as shiny. A duplication of the semi-gloss evident 
upon kitchen cabinets, stoves and plumbing fixtures may 
well be continued on the walls and ceiling. 

White, ivory or very light gray, green or blue enameled 
woodwork is also a necessary part of a color plan. Then, 
when very light, airy curtain material is used and you 
have the brightness of a growing plant or two about the 
windows an ideal setting has been gained with the im- 
pression of brightness and cleanliness. 

What is needed to complete the balance in such color 
schemes is a note of bright color in small area. Bright 
but greyed reds, blues, greens, oranges or yellows may 
be introduced in some form. Bright but small spots of 
color in plain colored curtains give the added balance. 
A brightly colored glass shade on the electric light may 
give the bright color note needed. It may be that a 
brightly colored linoleum will add all the contrast which 
_ the room calls for. The blues and greens are especially 
welcome in the kitchen because of their cool tones. 

Some of the color schemes which will give a novel 
character to a kitchen, used principally for the curtains, 
are these: Blue, white and yellow-orange; yellowish- 
green with black and cream or ivory. 

Color Schemes for a Library and Private Offices.— 
If there is any room in which the color treatment and 
furnishings should not call attention to themselves or 
clamor for notice it is in a library, a study or a private 


234 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


¢ 


office in homes and business places. In such rooms the 
occupants want agreeable surroundings but they do not. 
want active eye stimulations which will divert from the 
work in hand, whether it be study or the transaction of 
business. What is wanted is an atmosphere of comfort 
which is conducive to quiet and restfulness. 

The color schemes for such rooms may be built up from 
medium dark greyed colors and the less intense tones. 
Receding rather than advancing colors are desirable and, 
above all, simplicity in color combination as well as pat- 
tern, texture and design are to be gained. Even the floor 
coverings, furniture and window drapes should be sub- 
dued and should harmonize in low values rather than to 
contrast greatly in value. If there are any art objects 
or accessories used they may be in bronze or dull poly- 
chrome. 

Such a color scheme is likely to become a bit sombre 
and needs a note of contrasting color. This may be sup- 
plied by a central: point of interest, or climax, which is , 
in the form of a not too large, brightly colored picture 
or a vase containing flowers in well selected colors. If 
there are any decorative designs on the walls such as a 
frieze or stencil band it should be in simple, classic de- 
sign and self-tone or colors related to the wall color. 

Color Schemes for Bedrooms.—The atmosphere to be 
’ ereated by color schemes for sleeping rooms should be 
one of restfulness and relaxation. Light colors are much 
to be preferred to dark shades. Generally speaking, the 
colors should be warm unless the room happens to be of 
the low ceiling type on the south side of a home which 
actually becomes very warm during the summer; in 
which case the cool, blue-grays with a bit of contrasting 
orange, gold or pink are used. Cool bluish-greens and 
ereenish-grays with pale lavender and black are useful 
in such rooms. For other bedrooms light grays which 
have yellow or red in their makeup for warmth, ivory 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 235 


with light olive green, dull blue or gold are good color 
combinations, as are also delicate blues, creams and light 
erays. 

Mere common sense warns us also against the so-called 
spring greens, or even the too strong blues in bed rooms. 
But if the vivid hues are out of keeping, equally so are 
the sad and sombre colors. Sheer common sense again 
warns us against the depressing, melancholy tones, 
against blues of too great weight, against the solemn pur- 
ples that have been called the ‘‘ashes of color,’’ against 
eertain dark reds which may be described as sullen. 

There are left, then, for bedroom use, various shades 
of yellow, soft greens, soft blues and grays; and the pos- 
sibilities for working out variations upon these, as well 
as for combining them into color chords, are infinite. 

No color is more suited to the bedroom than grey, 
which has been called the peacemaker of colors. Nature, 
as we all know, uses grey and grey-browns lavishly when 
she wishes foils for her particular beauties. We realize 
this when we note her coloring of the ground, of rocks 
and of certain lichen vegetation. 

Grey is a versatile color, almost a treacherous one, for 
in certain states—in that of steely tone, for instance, 
where it is a mean between black and white—it is far 
from friendly. Rather it is suggestive of mediaeval 
prisons and of stern limitations. On the other hand, 
when warmed with an admixture of yellow, or a small 
amount of red, grey will prove essentially fit for the 
restful room. 

As sheer gray suggests limitation, blue, even in its 
heavy forms, suggests the illimitable. In its lhghtest 
tones a characteristic of the limitless sky, blue possesses 
the rare quality of allurement. 

Color Schemes for the Hall—The entrance hall is the 
first introduction visitors have to the home and is re- 
sponsible for the first impressions gained. It ought to be 


236 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


decorated in warm cheerful colors ordinarily and also to 
harmonize with the living room. 

Yellow tints or shades, tans, light browns and some- 
times dull rose, buff, fawn, ivory and cream are desirable 
in this room. 

For large halls fairly dark greens and dull red, drabs 
and browns are permissable but they are quite certain 
to cause a small hall to appear still smaller. The tints 
in small halls should be very light always. . 

Color Schemes for School, Church and Bank.—Quiet 
and dignified color plans are most suitable for these 
buildings. Neither color or stencil design should be strong _ 
enough to attract or divert attention. Dull, low tones of 
buff, drab, green, gray, blue, russet and brown serve 
the purpose admirably and offer a wide range of colors 
but they are likely to be dull and monotonous unless a 
certain amount of luminous or bright color is added such 
as in a stencil here and there to give the necessary 
amount of life and brightness without disturbing the 
dominant tone of the quiet, restful colors. 

Color Schemes for Children.—A much better choice of 
decorations for a child’s bedroom or nursery is more 
evident today than ever before, but there is still some 
tendeney to force upon children color schemes which are 
appreciated more by grown-ups. A child’s natural pref- 
erence for colors tends towards bright, pure tones. It is 
possible to satisfy that preference without making a 
room too intensely stimulating to grown-ups. 

When we attempt to force upon children a preference 
for quiet, subdued harmony very early in their lives 
nothing is really gained by it. In the beginning a child’s 
preference is quite similar to the preferences of primi- 
tive peoples and savages. When children are allowed to 
exercise their preference at first they naturally become 
satiated with brilliant, pure colors and come naturally to 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 237 


a preference for true color harmony of greyed tones 
later in life. 

The large surfaces such as walls and ceilings and 
floors in a child’s room may well be given greyed, sub- 
dued colors but let there be considerable areas of the 
walls near the bottom which contain pictures or decora- 
tions done in pure, bright complementary colors. The 
pure intense reds, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple 
in moderate areas will satisfy and amuse the children 
without undue stimulation to mature persons. 

The furniture of a child’s room may well be colored 
with the greyed color hues, generally, but each piece of 
furniture should have its small area of pure, bright color. 
The toys will come naturally in bright colors, too. The 
bright colors and the grayed colors of the furniture 
should, of course, harmonize with the floor, walls, ceiling 
and wood trim colors. 

Large Rooms.—Moderately large rooms offer greater 
latitude in choice of colors, textures and design than is 
possible in small rooms. 

Here color schemes may be used which utilize greater 
contrasts ot values, as between tints and shades of one 
color or as between lght and dark colors; also colors may 
be used which constitute greater contrast of color hues, 
of related colors or complementary colors; and here also 
colors are permissible which show a greater contrast of 
intensity in pure, brilliant tone as between complemen- 
tary colors and related colors. 

In other words, stronger, brighter colors, those which 
have been grayed or neutralized to a lesser degree by 
mixing in white or complementary colors may be used in 
large rooms. 

In moderately large rooms the advancing colors may 
be effectively used, not in their pure brilliant tones be- 
cause that might produce too great a contrast of inten- 


238 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


sity, contrast of color hue and contrast of values as well. 

But the advancing colors which are orange, reds, yel- 
lows, creams and light tans may be used in less greyed 
or less neutralized degrees. 

Pure, intense tones of blues and greens are advancing 
colors as compared to greyed tints and shades of blues 
and greens. As compared to pure intense reds, orange 
and yellow, the pure bright blues and greens are, of 
course, receding colors. 

Gloss and semi-gloss finishes may be used in large 
rooms but should not be used in small rooms, since they 
apparently emphasize the limits of vision and appear to 
make a room smaller. Flat finish is best for small rooms 
and may also be used in large rooms. 

On the walls of large rooms very rough textures in 
special wall finishes like old English, Holland and Italian 
Travertine are fitting, as also are stronger designs in wall 
paper which contrast to a greater degree in values, hues 
and intensities of colors than should be permitted in 
small rooms. 

Small Rooms.—A selection of color schemes for small 
rooms usually involves a consideration of ways and 
means to apparently increase the size of the room. Even 
when this is not especially desired the decorator must at 
least avoid a color treatment which will apparently 
shrink the size of a room. 

Walls of a room limit the vision. Colors on walls em- 
phasize or minimize this limitation according to their 
character. 

Generally speaking, the receding colors are the blues, 
greens and the darker shades of other colors. Pure in- 
tense blues and greens are, however, receding colors only 
when compared to other pure, intense colors like orange, 
reds and yellows. Pure intense blues and greens are ad- 
vaneing colors compared to light tints and greyed hues 
of blues and greens when used in large areas. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 239 


Greens, blues and blue-greys which can be used on 
large wall areas to give a receding atmosphere are such 
as range from pale, pure tints of these colors to greyed, 
neutralized dark shades like olive shades and old blues. 

When you reduce the intensity of these pure blues and 
greens by mixing white with them, or neutralize them 
with their complementary colors orange and red you re- 
move their insistent display strength, you make them as 
fully receding as possible, with the consequent effect of 
apparently increasing the size of the room. 

The use of strong advancing colors like yellows, 
orange, reds and all tints which can be used to express 
sunlight the wall limitations are emphasized and made 
to appear nearer at hand—the room seems smaller with 
bright colors on the walls. 

Gloss colors are more advancing than flat colors. 

Spotty and strong patterns, stripes and designs in 
general which contrast sharply in values emphasize the 
limit of vision and should not be used in small rooms. 
Wall paper having large and prominent design which 
contrasts highly in value, hue or intensity is especially 
to be avoided in small rooms. 

In nature’s great color schemes the foreground is 
rough and broken but the distant hills and horizon are 
visible only as grey-greens, grey-blues and misty greys. 
In like manner we must construct color schemes for 
rooms to be given an apparently larger size. 

To sum up, then, color schemes for small rooms and 
all decoration to give the effect of distance and recession 
should be composed of weak, light patterns, if design is 
attempted on the walls in the form of wall paper or as 
rough textures of special wall finishes. Patterns of rugs 
and linoleums for the floors in small rooms ought also to 
be small, light in form and color contrasts of values, hue 
and intensity ought to be low. In some rooms perfectly 
smooth walls without texture are needed. 


240 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Walls in small rooms should have a flat, not gloss, 
finish and the greyed blues and greens and cold greys are 
the colors to use for key colors. Self-tones and very 
closely related colors are especially useful in small rooms. 

If the ceiling of a small room is low, increased height 
can be apparently given by the use of verticle stripes in 
wall paper or stencil designs on the walls. These should 
be in self-colors or very greyed tints of related colors 
having little contrast of values. Strong contrasts of 
values, hues or intensity will make the wall advancing in 
color and apparently decrease the size of the room. 

Verticle panels using picture mouldings will also ap- 
parently increase the height of low ceilings. 

A ceiling too high may be lowered apparently by use 
of darker color on it, by lowering the picture moulding 
to create a wide Rbinoe at the top of the wall to be colored 
like the ceiling. Horizontal panels of picture mouldings 
will also decrease the height of ceilings. 

Rooms with North Exposure.—Obviously rooms on the 
north side of the residence receive no direct sunlight and 
while they may be just as warm in fact, owing to an effi- 
cient heating plant, they often seem cold and lack the 
cheer of rooms receiving the direct rays of the sun. This 
condition then offers an opportunity to the decorator to 
add to the room a warm, cheerful atmosphere. For both 
walls and stencils tints and shades of the warm colors; 
red, yellow, orange and warm brown are in order for 
this purpose. Tan, cream, ivory, old rose, warm grey 
(has red or yellow in its makeup) and green which is 
toned with red, orange or yellow. 

Often a wall color that is much too dull and cool for 
a north room ean be brightened up materially by using 
quite strong, warm colors in the stencils. A fairly dark 
Cobalt Blue, for instance, on the upper side wall of a 
north exposure dining room may effectively be warmed 
up by stencil tints of Light Brown, Tan, Buff or Cream. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES. 241 


The woodwork would best be Fumed Oak or one of the 

brown oak shades, Mahogany, Natural Birch, Maple, 
Pine, Cherry, Cypress, Ivory or other warm colored 
Enamel. 
- Rooms with South Exposure.—The aim in decorating 
such rooms is diametrically opposite from that for north 
exposures. The colors ought to be such as will modify 
the glare of direct sunlight and to cause the rooms to 
appear cool. The cold colors; blue, green, grey, violet, 
purplé and lavender, are now most useful. The grey 
ought not to contain red or yellow and the green should 
be one in which the blue, not yellow, predominates. In 
@ room that is very light the greys may be most satis- 
factory; they do not fade so soon or as readily as the 
greens, blues, ete. 

Blue-green and old blue made by tempering blue with 
black are much to be preferred to either color in its full 
or pure state. 

Laight and Dark Rooms.—When rooms to be decorated 
are lighter than average extra care ought to be taken to 
avoid the use of pure, intense colors and even bright but 
greyed colors in large areas. In such rooms the bright 
light causes colors to display their: brightness to the 
greatest extent. 

In light rooms it is equally important to avoid great 
contrast of values, hues and intensities of colors, also 
strong patterns in wall paper and all greatly contrasting 
design. 

Useful colors in very light rooms are: French grey, 
warm grey, pearl greys, olive, old blue, dull reds, neu- 
tral greens. 

Dark rooms, on the other hand, may well be decorated 
in rather a colorful manner. Strong contrasts of value, 
hue and intensity are permissable and are often urgently 
needed; especially are the sunshine colors needed—y-l- 
lows, reds and orange tints. : 


242 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


In dark rooms, too, the wall patterns in paper and 
stencil design as well as rough textures of special wall 
finishes can be more prominent. 

Colors used in dark rooms may be selected to add light 
to them. Yellow reflects more white light than any other 
color; so the yellows, cream, ivory and light tans and 
buff are useful colors in dark rooms. 

Glaringly light rooms are made more restful by the 
selection of dull greens, greyed blues and greenish or 
bluish greys. These colors absorb more light than they 
reflect. Deeper, darker, though neutralized, greens and 
blues may be used in rooms which are possessed of strong 
natural light. 

Colors for Wood Trim.—Having wood trim which is 
out of harmony with the decorative scheme preferred for 
a room it is always possible, obviously, to paint or enamel 
the trim a color which does fit in with wall colors wanted 
and the furnishings. That, in fact, is the English and 
European practice. In America where there is so much 
beautiful wood trim naturally finished, many are reluc- 
tant to enamel it and thus hide the grain. It is an out- 
standing fact, however, that a color harmonious interior 
as a whole is often not possible without changing the 
color of the wood trim. Often by staining natural col- 
ored trim, or restaining stained trim, its color can be 
made to harmonize with the balance of the scheme, at the 
same time preserving the beauty of the natural grain. 

There is a much greater tendency today than ever to 
subordinate the wood trim, to paint it out, in order to 
make it a part of the color scheme in harmony with the 
whole unit. Often, in small rooms especially, it is 
painted or enameled the same color as the walls; or it 
may be a tint or shade of the wall color—a bit lighter 
or darker. 

At times a related color or a complementary color in 
ereved or neutralized degree is needed. The amount or 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 243 


area of the wood trim is the determining factor. The 
greater the area of wood trim the less prominence and 
less contrast in the color are needed. 

Many have the idea that Colonial architecture must 
invariably be enameled white. This is not in accord with 
the dictates of history or of color harmony. In these old 
homes the wood trim was also colored with greys, dull 
ereens, yellowish browns and with other tints and 
shades. 

In any discussion of colors to combine with different 
kinds of stained wood there is always the difficulty that 
the name of the wood is taken as expressing a color 
thought—while as a matter of fact it does nothing of the 
kind. It means nothing but a crude material which may 
alter in color according to how it is finished. . 

Wood, as a rule when finished for interior trim or for 
furniture, has a color, light or dark, produced by the 
finishing materials which must be considered alone. To 
say, therefore, that grey-blues combine with walnut or 
dark greens combine with mahogany is meaningless ex- 
eepting that it refers in a general way to the colors in 
which these woods are commonly finished. It is unsafe 
to depend on such rules excepting as the most general 
of guides. A goodly number of shades of mahogany 
finish and oak used in interiors may be colored grey, 
green, black, yellow or brown. 

If any degree of refinement is to be secured it is much 
better to get down to basic principles of color harmony 
and work out each problem independently with the color 
of the particular piece of wood as a starting point. 

It is often a mistake in redecorating rooms to leave 
the woodwork in the color in which it is found. There 
has been for years a tradition among decorators that it 
is something akin to sacrilege to paint good woodwork. 

The architect and the builder are accountable prim- 
arily. Thev biild a house and put the dark-colored oak 


244 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


and mahogany trim in the hall-ways and the billiard- 
room, in the library and the study in the time-honored 
belief that these rooms call for dark shades in woodwork. 
Notwithstanding tradition, common sense dictates that if 
these rooms are in any degree lacking in natural light, 
as they often are, they should be treated in receding, 
light-reflecting colors—tones that make rooms look 
larger, lighter and more cheery. 

Ceiling Colorings——A lazy habit in our midst ‘is 
largely responsible for the fact that most ceilings are 
thoughtlessly colored plain white, ivory or cream as a 
rule, giving an impression of a room without a roof; the 
walls seem to stand alone. 

It is said that these tints reflect light and so they do 
but in most rooms that is of minor importance. Com- 
plete color harmony is often sacrificed by our indiffer- 
ence to ceiling colors. 

Often on average jobs the contrast of values between 
ceiling and walls is too great; the ceilings, then, are not 
a continuation of the harmony of walls, trim, floor and 
furnishings, yet a ceiling is just as much a part of the 
_ room as these other elements. 

It is true that dark colors are not permissable on ceil: 
ings, unless they are unusually high and there is a wish 
to apparently lower them by decorative treatment. But 
more color can be earried to ceilings without lowering 
them and greater unity in the harmony of interiors will 
result. Related colors, or complementary colors much 
greyed and in light tints, are quite as suitable as the 
self-tints usually used. For example, in a color scheme 
the key color of which is brown with climax color of 
rather pure, intense orange and subordinate shades of 
greyed blues, a selection for a ceiling color could be a 
light tint or greyed orange or a light greyed-blue tint. 

And when self-tints are used they may well be a bit 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES © 245 


more colorful, since as a rule now the contrast of values 
between ceiling and walls is too high, too great. 

Colors of pure intensity must not be used on ceilings. 
Strong contrasts of value, hue or intensity of ceiling 
eolor makes a ceiling too prominent, too advancing. 

Floor Colors and Designs.—-lf we would gain harmony 
in a room as a whole and center attention on a climax 
consisting of a single display of bright color or a con- 
eentrated group of color, then strongly contrasting color 
and design in rugs, tile or linoleums must not be allowed. 

It is best to have floor colors and designs subdued and 
quietly harmonious with the room as a whole. The floor 
is the foundation, it should be a darker tone than walls 
and should not be so strong in eolor or design as to com- 
pete with the climax point of the room. Self-tones and 
related colors low in contrast of value, hue and inten- 
sity are essential. When complementary colors appear 
they must be much subdued and greyed. 

Colors wn Pictures, Frames, Mats—The selection of 
pictures for a home is nearly always an exceedingly per- 
sonal affair. Decorators have little opportunity to ad- 
vise concerning the character of pictures which come 
into a home, but they can as a rule have a voice in allot- 
ting certain pictures to appropriate rooms. Personal 
preferences of the occupants will be asserted, in some in- 
stances, regardless of what their choice of pictures does 
to a color scheme, but a decorator who ean point out 
good reasons for his preference usually has his way. 

Pictures which are very colorful displaying pure, in- 
tense colors in large area should be used only as a cli- 
max or central point of interest in a color scheme. One 
to the average room is quite enough; more than one pic- 
ture like the brilliant red English coaching scenes and 
such as have strong contrasts like the poster style is like- 
ly to set up competition for attention. Also too much 


246 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


eye stimulation will result, with attendant fatigue and 
restlessness. 

Picture frames should tone-in with the pictures, the 
wall color, furniture and wood trim. Well framed pic- 
tures as a rule have frames which repeat the key color 
of the picture in self tints or shades; sometimes a greyed, 
related color or a much greyed complementary color is 
used on the picture frame. 

Mats are quite useless on many pictures and are often 
very bad for a color scheme. White and very light col- 
ored mats give the effect of a hole in the wall; they 
clamor for attention and irritate the eye nerves. White 
is more advancing than many colors and is quite as likely 
to be a note of discord in a color scheme as a vivid color 
which is out of harmony. In fact pure white areas like 
picture mats, table covers, scarfs and lace curtains are 
likely to separate from the color scheme and jump out 
at you, especially when the wall color and the whole 
scheme is low in contrast of values or rather dark. | 

A white area in a room is usually the first element no- 
ticed on entering and it competes for attention always. 

If mats are used they should be subdued by coloring 
to harmonize in low value with the frames and pictures. 
Self-tones repeating the frame colors are usually safest 
to use. Sometimes a mat may be covered with a fabric 
of just the right related color or greyed complementary 
color, but extreme care must be taken to avoid making 
the mat more prominent and advancing than the picture 
itself. 

Drapes and Window Shades——Window hangings are 
often made the color climax of a room, rather uncon- 
sciously, to be sure, but sometimes with good effect. 

If the windows are not too large and too numerous and 
other centers of interest are lacking a note of cheer may 
well be given by using pure, intensely colored drapes. 

The tendency now is to build more and larger win- 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 247 


dows in homes and there is considerable likelihood that 
brightly colored drapes in such homes will be a jarring 
note, because of the large areas. 

In those cases where large areas of drapes are needed 
the color should be of a very much greyed and subdued 
character and of plain colors, rather than strong figures 
and patterns of design like cretonne. 

As a general rule where the color climax of a room is 
at some point of interest other than the windows, the 
drapes should be in subdued colors. The dominant color 
note of the walls and the color scheme in general is the 
key to correct and easy selection of the drapes and 
shades. 

When wall paper is used the drapes may repeat one 
of the color notes of the paper, matching it in self tint 
or shade, and in the case of drapes of silk or other fab- 
rics with a sheen, the dominant hue of the wall color is 
also repeated in the drapes. 

When the wallpaper or all-over stencil designs are 
rather prominent the drapes ought to be of plain, sub- 
dued color fabrics. 

Drapes, in general, may be a harmony self-tones with 
the wall colors, they may be related colors or comple- 
mentary colors subdued by having been greyed or neu- 
tralized. And the contrasts of values should not be 
sreat—a scheme of low tones is best. 

Many textiles and objects of nature reflect a series of 
related colors. Red velvet drapes in sunlight show 
orange, where light strikes directly, shading to orange- 
red, red and red-violet in the shadows. A green leaf on 
a tree reflects yellow-green, green, blue-green and dark 
blue in shadows. Such surfaces displaying a play of 
light and shadow make charming drapes. 

Effect of Panels and Stripes.—Although walls should 
remain always as the background, the foil against which 
the furnishings are displayed, it is, nevertheless, possible 


248 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


for a wall to be too flat, uninteresting and monotonous. 

Walls of large area may be broken up in many ways. 
The rough textures of special wall finishes like Italian 
Travertine, Old English, Holland, Sand-Float and Tif- 
fany Mottling and Blending accomplish this artistically. 
Well selected wall papers serve the purpose. 

Panels formed of picture mouldings and proportioned 
with a good sense of balance are excellent. Vertical 
panels apparently increase the height of a ceiling. Hori- 
zontal panels lower a ceiling, apparently. 

Vertical stripes in wall paper or applied by stencils or 
the vertical textures of rough special wall finishes give 
apparent increased height. 

All-over patterns of wall paper break up an uninter- 
esting wall and the all-over diaper stencil patterns so 
much used in England give a very interesting note of 
design and self-tones or related colors. Strong contrasts 
of values, of color hues and of intensity of colors must 
be avoided in all-over designs. 

A flat, uninteresting wall may also be relieved by 
slight changes architecturally; the addition of vertical 
pilasters or columns against the walls reaching about 
two-thirds or three-fourths of the way up to the ceiling. 
These may be built in pairs or singly on all walls of the 
room, being careful to balance them. With a projecting 
cap at the top or cornice of mouldings, a finish is gained 
and an opportunity offered for a decorative effect by 
placing a vase, lamp, bit of pottery or a growing plant 
on top. 

A Suggested Expervment.—While it is always useful 
to have a set of color cards handy showing individual 
eolors this usually confuses the average customer. It 
will be much more useful if you will make up a set of 
color cards which is composed of perfect combinations of 
colors. A search for such color combinations and the 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES ; 249 


habit of making note of them is a profitable enterprise. 

In your search for useful color groups it is well to 
take particular note of the impression given by each 
type of color combination. Note the simplicity, dignity 
and attractiveness of the self-tone color schemes. Make 
a search for these not only in the color schemes used on 
the interior of homes, public buildings, show windows 
and in merchants’ shops, but also, such color schemes in 
nature. In your scrap-book make up half a dozen color 
schemes after this principle, by mixing colors in the or- 
dinary manner and spreading them on to sheets of heavy 
water color paper, in two or three coats. When the 
paint is dry cut out color chips two or three inches 
square and paste them in your scrap-book. If you will 
do this for each of the tints or shades used in a self- 
tone color scheme you will have a group of harmonizing 
eolors which will be useful for a long time and for many 
jobs. 

In this first group you should have color schemes each 
one of which is made up of self-tones of one color and 
which illustrate how contrasts in values—contrast of 
light and dark colors, add life to the scheme. Then, this 
eroup should include color schemes which are warm, 
those which are cold and those which are composed of 
greyed or neutral colors. 

In this same scrap-book, but in another section, begin 
a collection of color schemes which harmonize by the 
principle of related colors-analogy. Note how the ad- 
dition of related color adds life to a self-tone color 
scheme. In this group divide the color schemes into 
three classes, too,—color schemes which are warm, some 
which are cold and some which are greyed or 
neutralized. 

In still another section of your scrap-book start a col- 
lection of color schemes which are constructed after the 


250 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 
% 


principle of complementary colors and noting, particu- 
larly, how much more perfectly they balance and satisfy 
than either of the other two groups. 

In searching for groups of colors which harmonize 
there are many fields which offer both pleasure and pro- 
fitable returns. Public buildings and homes which have 
been decorated according to the plans of professional 
decorators who are capable offer much material for 
study. In museums and art galleries the paintings, tex- 
tiles, pottery and art objects of many kinds offer numer- 
rous illustrations of color harmony by one principle or 
another. In nature, illustrations of color harmony are 
limitless. 

In all your observations following these suggestions 
you will find great variety; there are color schemes of 
greys alone, of several values of one color, of greys and 
one other color, of black and one other color, of greys 
and two other colors, of black and two other colors and 
of three or more colors with the addition of grey or black. 


Combinations of Colors in Harmony.— 


Black, white and yellow, orange or gold. 
Black, white and red, vermilion, crimson. 
Black, blue-green, silver and lemon yellow. 
Black, silver and light blue. 

Blue and gold. 

Blue and orange and gray. 

Blue and salmon. 

Blue and maize. 

Blue and brown. 

Blue and black. 

Blue, scarlet and lilac. 

Blue, orange and black. 

Blue, brown, crimson and gold. 

Blue, orange, black and white. 

Blue (deep) and pink or maroon. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 


Buff and violet, yellow, straw or claret. 
Crimson and medium green. 

Crimson and orange. 

Gray and orange, pink, lavender or brown. 


Green, olive and red, russet, maroon or chocolate. 


Green and gold. 

Green, crimson, turquoise and gold. 
Green, orange and red. 

Green (light) and Ivory White. 
Lavender and warm gray or pale green. 
Lilae and gold. 

Lilae, searlet and black or white. 
Lilae, gold, scarlet and white. 

Lilae and black and crimson. 

Maroon and warm green or deep blue. 
Old rose and green. 

Pink and black. 

Purple and golden yellow. 

Purple and green or citron. 

Purple and gold. 

Purple, scarlet and gold. 

Red and gold. 

Red, gold and black. 

Red and olive or brown. 

Red, deep and grey. 

Red, normal, and blue-green. 

Red, purple and greenish yellow. 

' Russet and green or olive. 

Searlet, black and white. 

Searlet and purple. 

Searlet and turquoise blue. 

Straw and violet. 

Violet and reddish orange. 

Violet and yellow, straw color or buff. 
Yellow and purple, lavender or violet. 
Yellow and purple. 


251 


A 


252 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


COLOR MIXING FORMULAS 

There are no standard names for colors. Perhaps it 
ought to be stated the other way—there are no standard 
colors for color names. Lay out a certain medium shade 
of warm yellow and ask several people what is it. One 
will say buff, another fawn, others goldenrod, russet, 
pumpkin color and so on. So it is with most colors. Per- 
haps some day our government will establish color stand- 
ards, as it has already declared how much weight con- 
stitutes a pound, how much of any liquid equals a gallon, 
ete. 

The colors produced by the formulas given here are 
considered correct by the average decorator for the 
names attached to them. You must, however, mix any 
one of them lighter, darker, or a little differently if 
necessary to produce what your customer thinks is a 
better color for the name given. 

The tinting strength of different brands of colors var- 
ies considerably. Some brands of tinting colors are 
greatly extended by inert pigments, because some people 
want cheap colors., The high class, strong colors are 
cheapest in the end and far better and clearer tints are 
produced with them. In mixing the colors to test these 
formulas, first-class colors of a standard advertised 
brand were used. ’ 

Amber.—Burnt umber, 3 parts; medium chrome yel- 
low, 3 parts; orange chrome yellow, 8 parts. 

Argent (Grey).—Black, 9 parts; white lead, 16 parts; 
red, 1 part; trace of orange chrome yellow. 

Ash.—White lead, 50 parts; raw umber, 5 parts; 
yellow ochre, 1 part. 

Bay.—Black, 3 parts; Venetian red, 3 parts; a trace 
of orange chrome yellow. 

Black (Jet).—Ivory black, 10 parts; raw umber, 1 
part; Prussian blue, 1 part. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 253 


Black (Oliwe).—Vine-black, 20 parts; yellow ochre, 1 
part. 

Black (Purple).—Lampblack, 5 parts; rose pink, 1 
part. 

Blue (Antwerp).—Antwerp blue. Or compound 
with bright green, 1 part; ultramarine, 2 parts; trace 
of zine white. 

Blue (Azure).—Azure blue. Or compound with: 
Ultramarine blue, 1 part; zine white, 40 parts. 

Blue-black.—Ivory-black, 40 parts; Prussian blue, 3 
parts. 
~ Blue (Bronze).—Black, 3 parts; Prussian blue, 1 part. 

Blue (Dark).—White lead, 1 part; chrome green, 2 
parts; Prussian blue, 7 parts. 

Blue (Delft).—Tint white lead with cobalt blue and 
a touch of lamp black. 

Blue (Deep).—Prussian or ultramarine blue. 

Blue (Gobelin).—Ivory-black, 4 parts; white lead, 2— 
parts; chrome green, 1 part; Prussian blue, 3 parts. 

Blue (Granite).—Black, 2 parts; white, 6 parts; ultra- 
. marine blue, 1 part. 

Blue (Grayish).—White lead, 20 parts; Prussian blue, 
2 parts; ivory-black, 1 part. 

Blue (Indigo).—Indigo, or compound with: Black, 9 

‘parts; Prussian blue, 4 parts. 

Blue (Light Prussian). —White lead with a touch of 
Prussian blue. 

' Blue (Light Gray). —White lead with a touch of lamp- 

black and of raw umber. 

Blue (Marine).—Ultramarine blue, 1 part; ivory- 
black, 9 parts. 

Blue (Methyl).—Green, 1 part; blue, 12 parts; trace 
of red. i 


254 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Blue (Misty).—White lead, 50 parts; ultramarine, 10 
parts; burnt umber, i part. 

Blue (Mountain).—Mountain blue. Or compound 
with: Ivory-black, 1 part; cobalt blue, 3 parts; rose mad- 
der, 2 parts; white lead, 4 parts. 

Blue (Old).—Mix from Prussian blue and a touch of 
lampblack or ivory black. 

Blue (Opaque).—Zine white, 1 part; French ultra- 
marine, 1 part. 

Blue (Oriental).—White lead, 100 parts; Prussian 
blue, 9 parts; lemon chrome, 1 part. 

Blue (Pale).—White lead, 30 parts; Brunswick blue, 
i part. 

Blue (Pure).—Zine white, 20 parts; English ultra- 
marine, or cobalt blue, 2 parts. 

Blue (Royal).—White lead, 1 part; ultramarine, 15 
parts. 

Blue (Sapphire). —Zine white, 4 parts; Chinese blue, 
1 part. 

Blue (Sea) ints lead, 16 parts; ultramarine, 3 
parts; raw sienna, 2 parts. 

Blue (Pale Sky).—White lead, tinted with cobalt blue. 

Blue (Sky).—White lead, 300 parts; cobalt blue, 1 
part; Prussian blue, 1 part. 

Blue (Turquoise).—White lead, 20 parts; ultrama- 
rine, 2 parts; light green, 1 part. 

Brass Yellow.—White lead, 40 parts; light chrome 
yellow, 12 parts; raw umber, 1 part; burnt umber, 1 
part. 

Brick.—Venetian red, 2 parts; white lead, 1 part. 

Bronze.—Black, 14 parts; yellow, 1 part; green, 2 
parts. 

Bronze (Asiatic).—Medium chrome yellow, 1 part; 
raw umber, 2 parts; very little white lead. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 255 


Bronze Green.—Middle chrome, 2 parts; raw umber, 
©) parts; burnt sienna, 1 part; black, 1 part. 

Bronze Yellow.—White lead, 10 parts; lemon chrome, 
4 parts; raw umber, 5 parts. 

Brown, (Alderney) .—Yellow, 3 parts; black, 14 parts; 
white lead, 1 part; orange, 2 parts. 

Brown (Amber).—Burnt umber, 9 parts; middle 
chrome, 5 parts; Venetian red, 3 parts. 

Brown (Chestnut).—Medium chrome yellow, 4 parts; 
Venetian red, 2 parts. 

Brown (Coach).—Indian red, 5 parts; ivory-black, 2 
parts. 

Brown (Cocoanut).—Burnt umber, 4 parts; yellow 
ochre, 1 part; white lead, 1 part. 

Brown (Coffee). —Burnt umber, 9 parts; yellow ochre, 
4 parts; Venetian red, 1 part. 3 

Brown, (Foliage).—Vandyke brown, 2 parts; burnt 
sienna, 1 part. 

Brown (Golden).—White lead, 20 parts; yellow ochre, 
3 parts; burnt sienna, 1 part. — 

Brown (Italian).—Vandyke brown, 4 parts; raw 
sienna, 1 part. 

Brown (Leather) —Yellow ochre, 4 parts; Venetian 
red, 3 parts; white lead, 2 parts; blue-black, 1 part. 

Brown (Olive).—Burnt umber, 3 parts; lemon chrome 
yellow, 1 part. 

Brown (Orange).—Burnt sienna, 5 parts; orange 
chrome, 4 parts. 

Brown (Pale).—White lead, 4 parts; burnt umber, 1 
part. 

Brown (Purple).—Indian red, 8 parts; burnt umber, 
1 part; black, 1 part. 


256 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS. 


Brown (Seal).—Burnt umber, 4 parts; golden ochre, 
1 part. 

Brown. (Snuff). —White lead, 9 parts; orange chrome, 
1 part; burnt umber, 2 parts. 

Brown (Stone).—Burnt umber, 10 parts; golden 
ochre, 1 part; burnt sienna, 2 parts. 

Brown (Thrush) .—Yellow ochre, 1 part; burnt umber, 
3 parts; white lead, 12 parts. 

Brown (Walnut).—Burnt umber, 5 parts; raw sienna, 
1 part. 

Buff —White lead, 100 parts; yellow ochre, 7 parts; 
middle chrome, 1 part. 

Buttercup Yellow.—Middle chrome. 

Canary.—White lead, 10 parts; lemon chrome, 1 part. 

Chamois Yellow.—White, 4 parts; yellow ochre, 5 
parts; green, 1 part. 

Chamoline (Yellow).—Raw sienna, 3 parts; lemon yel- 
low, 1 part; white lead, 5 parts. 

Chocolate-—Burnt sienna, 5 parts; carmine, 1 part. 

Cinnamon.—Golden ochre, 1 part; burnt sienna, 2 
parts; white lead, 6 parts. 

Citron (Yellow).—Raw umber, 2 parts; lemon chrome 
5 parts. 

Claret.—Carmine, 2 parts; ultramarine blue, 1 part. 

Copper.—White lead, 100 parts; middle chrome, 19 
parts; Venetian red, umber, and green, 3 parts each. 

Cream.—White lead, 100 parts; raw sienna; 3 parts. 

Cream.—White lead, 100 parts; Italian ochre, 3 parts. 

Crimson (Amaranthine).—Vermilionette, 3 parts, 
Prussian blue, 1 part. 

Drab.—Burnt umber, 1 part; white lead, 10 parts. 

Drab (Deep).—White lead, 20 parts; burnt umber, 14 
parts; ochre, 2 parts. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 257 


Drab (Light)—White lead, 50 parts; burnt umber, 
12 parts; ochre, 1 part. 

Drab (Medium).—White lead, 100 Ibs.; raw umber, 4 
Ibs.; French ochre, enough to tone to tint wanted. 

Drab (Warm) .—White lead, 100 lbs.; raw umber, 114 
Ibs.; French ochre, 2 to 3 lbs. 

Ecru.—Brunswick green, 1 part; medium chrome yel- 
low, 3 parts; white lead, 8 parts; black, 3 parts. 

Fawn.— White lead, 60 parts; burnt umber, 5 parts; 
yellow ochre, 3 parts. 

Fawn (Deep).—White lead, 10 parts; burnt umber, 
4 parts; ochre, 1 part. 

Flesh.—White lead, 50 parts; yellow ochre, 2 parts; 
burnt sienna, 1 part. 

Gold.—Color white lead with yellow ochre, raw sienna, 
or chrome yellow, 5 parts; vermilion, 1 part. 

Granite (Blue).—Black, 2 parts; white, 6 parts; ultra- 
marine blue, 1 part. 

Green (Aloes).—Black, 6 parts; white lead, 3 parts; 
chrome yellow, 1 part; Brunswick green, 3 parts. 

Green (Apple).—Medium chrome green, 1 part; white 
lead, 30 parts. 

Green (Autumn).—Emerald green, 2 parts; black, 7 
parts; chrome yellow, 1 part. 

Green (Blue).—Deep green, 7 parts; Prussian blue, 1 
part. 

Green (Bottle).—lLight green, 6 parts; lampblack, 1 
part. 

Green (Chartreuse).—Chrome yellow, 4 parts; chrome 
ereen, 5 parts; tint with white. 

Green (Chrome).—Chrome green. Or compound 
with Prussian blue, 1 part; lemon chrome yellow, 8 
parts. 

Green (Citron).—White lead, 40 parts; middle 
chrome, 3 parts; ivory-black, 1 part. 


258 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Green (Emerald).—Emerald green. Or compound 
with white lead, 8 parts; medium chrome green, 1 part. 

Green (Foliage).—Blue-black, 1 part; lemon chrome, 
4 parts. 

Green (Gray).—Terre verte, 10 parts; raw umber, 1 
part; white lead, 1 part. 

Green (Invisible).—Black, 9 parts; bright green, 1 
part. 

Green (Light Olive).—Middle chrome, 3 parts; black, | 
Z parts; burnt sienna, 1 part; trace of white lead. 

Green (Marine).—Black, 4 parts; middle chrome 
green, 1 part. 

Green (Middle Chrome).—ULemon chrome, 1 part; 
middle chrome, 1 part; Prussian blue, 2 parts. 

Green (Mignonette).—Chrome green, 3 parts; black, 
15 parts; Prussian blue, 1 part; chrome yellow, 1 part. 

Green (Moss).—Medium chrome green, 30 lbs.; raw 
umber, 1214 lbs.; medium chrome yellow, 6 lbs. 

Green (Moss Rose).—Brunswick green, 1 part; yellow, 
’ 4 parts; white lead, 3 parts. 

Green (Muscovite).—Prussian blue, 6 parts; chrome 
green, 13 parts; orange chrome, 3 parts; white lead, 8 
parts; black, 20 parts. 

Green (Myrtle)—White lead, 20 parts; middle 
chrome, 7 parts; ivory-black, 1 part. 

Green (Nile).—Prussian blue, 6 parts; emerald green, 
9 parts; white lead, 5 parts. 

Green (Olive).—White lead, 12 parts; yellow ochre, 
4 parts; umber, 1 part. 

Green (Oriental)—White lead, 2 parts; lemon 
chrome, 2 parts; umber, 1 part. 

Green (Pale).—Zine green, 4 parts; zine white, 5 
parts. 

Green (Pale Emerald) —White lead, 2 parts; emerald 
green, 1 part. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 259 


Green (Pea).—White lead, 100 parts; lemon chrome, 
1 part; light green, 13 parts. 

Green (Peacock).—White lead, 7 parts; emerald 
ereen, 50 parts; Prussian blue, 48 parts. 

Green (Pistache).—Black, 7 parts; yellow ochre, 1 
part ; chrome green, 114 parts. 

Green (Prussian).—Prussian green. Or compound 
with emerald or medium chrome green, 12 parts; chrome 
yellow, 3 parts; black, 5 parts. 

Green (Sage).—White lead, 30 parts; chrome green, 
light, 2 parts; burnt sienna, 1 part. 

Green (Sea).—White lead, 100 parts; deep green, 4 
parts. 

Green (Slate).—White lead, 16 parts; black, 5 parts; 
raw turkey umber, 1 part; deep green, 3 parts; blue, 1 
part. 

Green (Velvet).—Burnt sienna, 3 parts; light chrome 
green, 5 parts; white lead, 8 parts. 

Green (Water) Be ihite lead, 25 parts; deep green, 
1 part; yellow ochre, 5 parts. 

Gray (Argent).—Black, 9 parts; white lead, 16 parts; 
red, 1 part; trace of orange. 

Gray (Ash).—Burnt sienna, 2 parts; ultramarine 
blue, 3 parts; zine white, 60 parts. 

Gray (Dove).—White lead, 50 parts; ultramarine, 4 
parts; ivory-black, 1 part. 

Gray (Greenish).—White lead, 100 lbs.; medium 
chrome yellow, 8 oz.; medium chrome creen, 1 ithe ; lamp- 
black, 1 oz. 

Gray (Jasper).—Black, 9 parts; white, 2 parts; trace 
of deep chrome. 

Gray (Inght).—Prussian blue, 1 part; lampblack, 1 
part; white lead, 10 parts. 

Gray (Light).—Tint white lead with a little each of 
lampblack, raw umber, and Prussian blue. 


260 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Gray (Inght French).—White lead, 200 parts; ivory- 
black, 2 parts; blue, 1 part. 

Gray (Opal).—Burnt sienna, 1 part; zine white, 30 
parts; cobalt blue, 2 parts. ; 

Gray (Pearl).—White lead, 50 parts; Venetian red, 
2 parts; deep green, 2 parts. 
- Gray (Pure).—Raw turkey umber, 1 part; ivory- 
black, 1 part; white lead, 40 parts. 

Gray (Silver).—White lead, tinted slightly with a 
touch of lampblack and raw umber. 

Gray (Warm).—White lead, 100 lbs.; French ochre, 
4 to 6 lbs.; lampblack, 2 oz.; Venetian red, 2 oz. 

Hay.—White lead, 100 parts; yellow ochre, 4 parts; 
raw umber, 4 parts; deep green, 1 part. 

Helotrope. —Zine white, 2 parts ; red, 3 parts; ultra- 
marine blue, 4 parts. 

Indigo.—Indigo. Or compound with black, 9 parts; 
Prussian blue, 4 parts. 

Ivory.—White lead, 56 parts; yellow ochre, 2 parts; 
Venetian red, 1 part. 

Ivory. opie white lead with raw sienna aud a touch 
of American vermilion. 

Lavender.—White lead, 100 parts; ultramarine, 3 
parts ; madder lake, 1 part. 

Lead.—White lead, 100 parts; ivory-black, 8 parts. 

Leather.—White lead, 20 parts; yellow ochre 4 parts; . 
Venetian red, 2 parts. 

Lemon.—Lemon chrome. Or compound with chrome 
5 parts; white lead, 2 parts; very little green. 

Inlac.—White lead, 100 parts; ultramarine, 1 part; 
rose madder, 1 part. ; 

Inmestone.—White lead, 100 parts; yellow ochre, 1 
part; raw umber, 1 part. 

Mahagony.—Orange chrome, 10 parts; pari sienna, 
3 parts ; white lead, 1 part. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 261 


Maple.—White lead, 100 parts; yellow ochre, 3 parts; 
raw umber, 1 part. 

Maroon.—Venetian red, 2 parts; Indian red, 4 parts; 
lampblack, 1 part. 

Maroon (Acacia).—Black, 4 or 5 parts; Indian red, 3 
parts ; Prussian blue, 1 part. 

Maroon (Black).—Black, 4 parts; bright red, 1 part; 
trace of Prussian blue. 

Mascot (Blue).—Black, 7 parts; blue, 1 part; trace of 
green. 

Mauve.—wWhite lead, 6 parts; Prussian blue, 2 parts; 
madder red, 1 part. Or add blue to brown. 

Mouse Color.—Lampblack, 3 parts; Prussian blue, 1 
part; white lead, 16 parts. 

Oak (Dark).—White lead, 2 parts; yellow ochre, 3 
parts; Venetian red, 1 part; umber, 3 parts. 

Oak (Light).—White lead, 6 parts; yellow ochre, 6 
parts; Venetian red, 2 parts; umber,-1 part. 

Ochre (Golden).—Yellow ochre, 5: parts; lemon 

chrome, 2 parts. | 

Ochre (Roman).—Yellow ochre, 50. parts; turkey 
umber, 3 parts. 

Old Gold.—White lead, 6 parts; ochre, 12 parts; mid- 
dle chrome, 3 parts. 

Olive-—White lead, 12 parts; yellow ochre, 4 parts; 
ivory-black, 1 part. 

Olive (Gray).—Chrome green, 1 part; lampblack, 3 
parts; white lead, 40 parts. 

Olive (Light).—Middle chrome, 3 parts; black, 2 
parts; burnt sienna, 1 part; trace of white lead. 

Olive (Yellow).—Burnt umber, 3 parts; lemon chrome 
yellow, 1 part. 

Orange.—Orange chrome, 18 parts; white lead, 1 part; 
yellow, 1 part. 

Orange (Bright).—Orange chrome, 1 part; orange 
lead, 2 parts. 


262 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Orange (Scarlet).—Orange lead, 2 parts; white lead, 
Lopart 

Orange (Persian).—Orange chrome, 14 parts; white 
lead, 1 part; yellow ochre, 5 parts. 

Peach Bloom.—Indian red, 3 parts; white lead, 17 
parts. 

Pink.—White lead tinted with American vermilion. 

Pink (Aurore).—Indian red, 1 part; orange chrome, 
2 parts; blue, 2 parts; trace of lemon chrome; tint with 
white. 

Pink (Coral).—Vermilion, 5 parts; white lead, 2 
parts; chrome yellow, 1 part. 

Pink (Indian) .—White lead, 100 parts; Indian red, 3 
parts; rose madder, 1 part. 

Pink (Light).—White lead, 100 parts; rose madder, 
4 parts; vermilion, 1 part. 

Pink (Royal).—Zine white, 2 parts; carmine lake, 2 
parts. 

Pink (Venetian).—White lead tinted with trace of 
Venetian red. 

Porcelain (Blue).—Zine white, 1 part; chrome green, 
1 part; ultramarine blue, 4 parts; trace of black. 

Primrose.—Pale zine chrome. Or compound with: 
White lead, 10 parts; green, 3 parts; yellow, 4 parts. 

Purple.—White lead, 1 part; ultramarine, 1 part; In- 
dian red, 1 part. 

Purple (Anemone).—Black, 2 parts; white lead, 1 
part; bright red, 6 parts; Prussian blue, 6 parts. 

Purple (Begonia).—Uampblack, 4 parts; bright red, 5 
parts; Prussian blue, 4 parts. 

Purple (Royal).—Royal purple. Or compound with: 
Vegetable black, 2 parts; red, 3 parts; Prussian blue, 14 
parts. 

Red (Armentan).—Yellow ochre, 1 part; Venetian red, 
2 parts. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 263 


Red (Bordeaux).—Black, 1 part; orange chrome, 2 
parts; Prussian blue, 1 part. 

Red (Carnation).—Carmine lake, 3 parts; white lead, 
1 part. 

Red (Cherry).—Rose madder, 1 part; vermilion, 2 
parts. 

Red (Deep Indian) .—Indian red, 5 parts; lampblack, lt 
part. 

Red (Egyptian).—Black, 10 parts; white, 3 parts} 
orange, 4 parts; blue, 2 parts; trace of red. 

Red (Geramium).—Bright red, 9 parts; blue, 1 part. 

Red (light Indian).—Venetian red, 1 part; Indian 
red, 3 parts. 

Red (Mexican).—Red lead, 1 part; Venetian red, 4 
parts. 

Red (Mikado).—Blue, 3 parts; red, 7 parts; small 
quantity of white. 

Red (Moorish).—Vermilion, 3 parts; rose pink, 1 part. 

Red (Orange).—Orange chrome. 

Red (Oriental ).—Rose madder, 2 parts; orange lead, 1 
part. 

Red (Poppy).—Blue, 1 part; vermilion, 24 parts. 

Red (Turkish).—Pale vermilion, 4 parts; mahogany 
lake, 1 part. 

Red (Tuscan).—Rose pink, 2 parts; Indian red, 4 
parts. 

ose (Carnation).—Rose madder, 1 part; zine oxide, 
8 parts. 

Rose (Inght)—White lead tinted lightly with rose 
lake, turkey red, or vermilion. 

Rose (Old).—White lead, 16 parts; crimson madder, 1 
part. 

Rosewood.—Bright red, 1 part; black, 6 parts; trace 
of green. 

Russet (Dull).—White lead tinted to desired shade 


264 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


with raw sienna and a touch of vermilion or Indian red. 

Salmon.—White lead, 40 parts; golden ochre, 5 parts; 
Venetian red, 1 part. 

Sapphire.—Zine white, 4 parts; Chinese blue, 1 part. 

Scarlet (Bright).—Vermilion, 20 parts; pale chrome, 
7 parts; golden ochre, 1 part. 

Scarlet (Orange).—Orange lead, 2 parts; white lead, 1 
part. 

Slate.—White lead, 100 parts; ivory-black, 3 parts; 
ultramarine, 1 part. . 

Snuff—White lead, 9 parts; orange chrome, 1 part; 
burnt umber, 2 parts. 

Stone-——Burnt umber, 1 part; French yellow ochre, 
2 parts; white lead, 5 parts. 

Stone (Bradford).—White lead, 100 lbs.; raw sienna, 
3 Ibs.; shade with lampblack. 

Stone (Brown).—Burnt umber, 10 parts; golden 
ochre, 1 part; burnt sienna, 2 parts. 

Stone (Dark).—White lead, 20 parts; yellow ochre, 
12 parts; raw umber, 4 parts; Venetian red, 1 part. 

Stone (Inght).—White lead, 100 parts; and either 
Italian ochre, 5 parts, or yellow ochre, 6 parts. 

Stone (Middle)—White lead, 100 parts; yellow 
ochre, 12 parts. 

Tan. White lead, 20 parts; burnt umber, 6 parts; 
burnt sienna, 3 parts; yellow ochre, 2 parts. 

Tan (Auburn).—Burnt umber, 1 part; golden ochre, 
3 parts; white lead, 20 parts. 

Tan (Coffee).—White lead tinted with burnt umber. 

Tan (Soft).—Tint white lead with raw sienna. 

Tan (Warm).—Tint white lead with raw sienna, 
chrome yellow, and vermilion. 

Terra Cotta.—White lead, 2 parts; burnt sienna, 1 
part. : 

Terra Cotta.—White lead, 2 parts; Venetian red, 1 
part; burnt sienna, 1 part. 


SELECTING COLOR SCHEMES 26 


ol 


Turquoise.—White lead, 20 parts; ultramarine, 2 
parts; light green, 1 part. 

Violet.—French ultramarine, 14 parts; crimson lake, 
3 parts. 

Violet (Transparent).—Ultramarine blue, 4 parts; 
crimson lake, 1 part. 

Walnut.——Burnt umber, 5 parts; raw sienna, 1 part. 

White (Clear).—White lead, 300 parts; ultramarine, 
1 part. 

White (Flake).—Pure English white lead. 

White (Kremnitz).—Pure zine oxide, 100 parts; ultra- 
marine, 1 part. 

White (Permanent ).—Finest barytes, 200 parts; blue, 
1 part. 

White (Pure).—Equal parts white lead and zine 
white. 

White (Translucent).—White lead, 1 part; barytes, 
10 parts. 

White (Transparent ).—Zine white, 1 part; barytes, 
20 parts. 

Yellow (Alabaster).—White, 4 parts; middle chrome 
yellow, 1 part. 

Yellow (Light Colonal).—White lead, 100 lbs. ; med- 
tum chrome yellow, 1 to 2 lbs.; raw sienna, 1 lb. 

Yellow (Orange Chrome).—Use orange chrome yellow 
or same plus a touch of vermilion. 

Yellow (Inght Orange Chrome).—Use orange chrome 
yellow and a little white lead. 

Yellow (Brass).—White lead, 40 parts; light chrome 
yellow, 12 parts; raw umber, 1 part; burnt umber, 1 
part. 

Yellow (Bronze).—White lead, 10 parts; lemon 
chrome, 4 parts; raw umber, 5 parts. 

Yellow (Buttercup ).—Middle chrome. 


266 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


Yellow (Canary).—White lead, 10 parts; lemon 
chrome, 1 part. 

Yellow (Chamoline).—Raw sienna, 3 parts; lemon 
yellow, 1 part; white lead, 5 parts. 

Yellow (Chamois).—White, 4 parts; yellow ochre, 5 
parts; green, 1 part. 

Yellow (Citrine).—Raw umber, 2 parts; lemon chrome 
yellow, 5 parts. 

Yellow (Golden).—Middle chrome, 16 parts; yellow 
ochre, 1 part. 

Yellow (Italian).—Yellow ochre, 14 parts; burnt um- 
ber, 1 part. 

Yellow (Jonquil). —Indigo, 1 part; light red, 2 parts; 
white lead, 16 parts; tint with chrome yellow. 

Yellow (Lemon).—Lemon chrome. 

Yellow (Olive).—Burnt umber, 3 parts; lemon chrome 
yellow, 1 part. 

Yellow (Primrose).—Pale zine chrome. 

Yellow (Transparent ).—Yellow ochre, 1 part; barytes, 
10 parts. 


CHAPTER XIV 


PRINTING INKS 


The advent and early history of printing inks is of 
little practical use to the printer seeking knowledge 
about present day problems, yet there is much of in- 
terest in them. Through the courtesy of Philip Rux- 
ton, Incorporated, the author is able to present this 
brief history. 

Very early in the history of every race printing was 
done first upon skins and fabrics and later upon linen, 
papyrus, parchment and hand-made papers. The stamp- 
ing of designs and patterns upon textiles was commun 
in India and China even before available records place 
definite dates on such arts and crafts. In China the 
classics were cut into tablets which were printed from 
by hand in 175 A. D. In the sixth century classical 
books were engraved into wood by the command of the 
Suy Dynasty and hand prints made therefrom. And 
as early as the ninth century books were engraved in 
stone; ink was spread upon these forms and rough 
prints taken by hand from them. 

The printing of textiles from blocks of wood, stone 
and clay was indulged in by many of the historic peo- 
ples of India, Egypt, Greece, Rome and the ancient 
Ineas of South America, as well as by North American 
Indians. 

At later periods the medieval kings and nobles used 
wood block monograms and printing inks to stamp 
their approving mark on charters and other official 
papers. 

267 


268. THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


The date of the invention of paper is lost in antiquity. 
Paper was made and used for hand writing long before 
the advent of block or type printing. There were paper 
mills in Toledo as early as the tenth century. In 1102 
the king of Sicily paid marked attention to paper mak- 
ing. Copyists or letterers of his time used vellum in 
preference to the rough hand made papers. 

Books at first were lettered by hand. Next came the 
first printed book made by cutting the letters or char- 
acters upon wood blocks, covering the blocks with ink 
and making a rough impression by hand ;—a slow and 
tedious job, indeed. Such block plates were known as 
Xylographs. 

The very early block printed books have been lost 
or destroyed but one bearing the date of 1470 is still in 
existence today. The use of type for printing, however, 
began some forty years previous to this date. 

The making of printing ink evidently was of little 
importance until the invention of the printing press by 
Gutenberg and, of course, the quantity used was insig- 
nificant. 

From the records it appears that the first printing 
press operated in Venice was in 1469, but by 1470 there 
were about eighty German printers at work in Rome. 
By the first year of the 15th century there were over 
two hundred presses at work in Venice. By the early 
part of the sixteenth century printing as an art was 
well established and well patronized. The makers of 
playing ecards, especially, made use of printing. 

Only black ink was used for many years. When a 
color was wanted for initials or for ornamentation it 
was hand lettered. Ink was made by the printers in 
-yather a simple way. A fire was built in the open and 
a huge kettle was suspended over the fire. In the ket- 
tle linseed oil was boiled until it was reduced to a thick 
varnish. Bread was put into the hot oil to. soak up 


PRINTING INKS 269 


excess grease. The bread was eaten and relished; thus 
a feast was enjoyed by the printers at this work. 

Having the linseed oil reduced to a thick varnish, 
the printers then mixed a black pigment, carbon black 
_ or lamp black, as a rule, with the varnish. This was a 
slow process ealling for a great expenditure of labor. 
_ Power mills were unknown then, so a large stone and 
muller were used to grind the black pigment and var- 
nish together. 

In making the linseed oil varnish a gum of one kind 
or another was usually cooked with the oil; this to give 
- a binder or adhesive which would make the ink stick 
~ to the paper. : 

As greater use was made of the printing press up 
through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, print- 
ers continued to make their own ink, using the same 
basic materials—linseed oil, juniper gum or rosin and 
earbon black. Good quality inks from the viewpoint 
of permanence were made. The first edition of Virgil 
printed in 1502 by the Germans was done with good 
cuality of ink, permanently black; although a bit slow 
to dry, perhaps, since the pages are offset a little. The 
inks used on ancient Italian and Dutch books appar- 
ently contained a black charcoal pigment made from 
twigs or burned peat; they faded to a brown tone. 

The development of colored inks probably occurred 
during the latter part of the seventeenth and early 
part of the eighteenth centuries, about the time cyl- 
inder and power printing presses were introduced. 

Previous to the nineteenth century the manufacture 
of printing inks was accomplished by haphazard rule- 
of-thumb methods. But from this time on down to our 
day the industry has been one in which chemistry has 
taken hold and developed ink making into a highly 
technical science. | 

The invention of coal tar colors has been especially 


\ 


270 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


influential upon the manufacture of a more extensive 
line of colors and inks of higher quality. Many bril- 
hant color pigments were made available to the ink 
maker by the coal tar industry development. Many 
such colors faded greatly as made at first, but con- 
stant improvement in their permanency of color has 
been made until today some of the coal tar colors are 
the most permanent known. From about forty colors 
commonly sold in 1870 the list of available colored inks 
now numbers in the hundreds or thousands ;—prac- 
tically any color wanted may be secured. 

The manufacture of dyestuffs from coal tar originated 
12 England. France took up the manufacture next and 
then both Switzerland and Germany began to make 
such colors. Germany soon developed this industry to 
a point after 1870 where almost a monopoly of the 
world business was in her possession. From that time 
most of the improvements and valuable discoveries in 
the coal tar industry have been made by Germans. 

In 1875 the important discoveries were made which 
led to the manufacture of Malachite green, methylene 
blue, eosine and chrysoidine. Between 1880 and 1890 
vast improvements and many important discoveries oec- 
eurred. Such dyestuffs as auramine, tartrazine, congo 
red and rhodamine were then introduced. A little 
later para red and lithol were produced. 

Germany supplied America with about eighty per 
cent of the dyestuffs used in 1913. Estimates indicate 
that the German investment in dyestuffs manufacture 
before the world war was in the neighborhood of four 
hundred million dollars. During the war America was 
thrown on her own resources for the manufacture of 
dvestuffs and while the first dyestuffs made were not 
equal in quality to the imported colors, great improve- 
ments have been made continuously. All of the pre- 


PRINTING INKS 271 


war colors are not made, but a sufficient number of 
high quality is made to serve all practical purposes. 


ESSENTIAL CONSTITUENTS 


Printing ink is composed of color pigment, liquid ve- 
hicle and drier. There are about five hundred basic 
materials used in the manufacture of inks today which 
include oils, resins, color pigments, white pigments, 
waxes, dyes and various acids and other chemicals. 

Color Pigments and Dyes.—The principal colors now 
used for the manufacture of printing inks are those 
made by chemical processes and to some extent earth 
pigments such as raw and burnt sienna, raw and burnt 
umber and yellow ochre. For descriptions of these see 
Chapter II. Generally earth colors are not used ex- 
cept for certain shades; they are apt to be gritty and 
to cause excessive wear on type, half tones, zines and 
electros. 

Such chemical colors as the iron blues like Prussian, 
Chinese, bronze and Milori blue are extensively used 
in the manufacture of modern inks. Chrome yellows, 
light, lemon, medium and orange, are used a great deal 
as are also such colors as ultramarine blue and ver- 
milion. For descriptions of these colors see Chapters 
II and III. 

The basic white pigments used in printing inks are 
white lead, zine oxide, lithopone, blane fixe and mag- 
nesia. See Chapter V. 

Black pigments used are carbon black, lamp black, 
bone or ivory black, aniline black and mineral black 
oxide of iron. 

Extreme care must be exercised in selecting carbon 
blacks from which all grit and crystalline particles have 
been removed by the air-floating process. Should such 
impurities as crystallized carbon, small particles of iron 
rust or other grit be allowed to remain in the carbon 


272 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


black, the ink will cause fill-ups in half-tone screens 
and fine lines of zines. Also excessive wear of plates 
and ink rollers will result from the use of such ink. 

Coal tar colors used in modern ink making are these: 
Para red, lithol red, eosine, madder lake, red for lake 
C, toluidine, lithol rubeine, scarlet, methyl violet, alkali 
‘blue, peacock blue, auramine yellow, tartrazine yellow, 
Malachite green, fuchine, Victoria green, rhodomine, 
scarlet 2R, permanent red 4B, orange Y and chrys- 
oidine. All of these colors belong to the transparent 
lake class except para red and toluidine red. The lake 
colors are made by precipitating the coal tar dyestuff 
as an insoluble salt on an inert, rans base such 
as alumina hydrate. 

The ink manufacturer differentiates between color 
pigments and dyes. The former are such colors as are 
rot soluble in water or oil, whereas the dyes are soluble. 

Oils and Varmshes.—Pure linseed oil is: the principal 
liquid constituent of printing ink just as it is of paint. 
See Chapter VI. 

The linseed oil is reduced to a thick varnish by boil- 
ing after it is refined and purified by chemical processes. 
The product resulting from this treatment is called lith- 
ographic varnish. It is produced in several grades clas- 
sified according to body or viscosity, varying from a 
very thin varnish to one as thick as molasses. These 
thick and thin varnishes are usually blended in making 
ink to gain just the right body and working qualities. 

While linseed oil varnish is the chief one used in the 
making of high quality printing ink, there are other 
varnishes which are-also used in inks for certain spe- 
cific purposes. Such special purpose varnishes are 
compounded of various gums and resins with linseed or 
mineral oil. To a large extent the same materials are 
used for ink varnishes as are made for general house 
and cabinet varnishing purposes. 


PRINTING INKS 273 


The gums and resins in common use for ink making 
varnishes are these: 

Rosin, which is the residue left from the distillation 
of turpentine; 

Copal gum, a soft gum taken from live trees in Java, 
Sumatra, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. 
The hard copal.gum is a better quality and is dug out 
of the ground in South America, West Africa, Mada- 
gascar and the East Indies. It is a fossil formation 
from the buried trees of past ages; 

Damar gum is a resin exuded by a certain conifer- 
ous tree in the Moluccas; - 

Kauri is a resin secured from New Zealand. Some 
of it is in the fossil state; 

Rosin oil, obtained by the distillation of rosin. It 
is used for special purposes in ink making. 

Wases for Ink Making.—In the manufacture of some 
inks waxes are used to gain certain desirable qualities. 

Bees-wax, secured from the honeycomb of bees, is a 
common ingredient of ink. 

Carnauba wax, made from the Brazilian palm tree, is 
another inkmaker’s wax. 

Wool-grease, a product secured by scouring sheep 
wool, is commonly used in printing ink. 

Petrolatum and paraffin are wax products secured 
from petroleum and they are useful for some kinds 
of ink. : 

Ink Driers—These are such liquids or pastes as will 
naturally hasten the drying of inks. They are added 
to the varnish or to the ink. They are compounded 
chiefly from soaps of the three drying metals—lead, 
manganese and cobalt. The linoleates and resinates are 
usually used but borate of manganese and lead acetate 
are commonly used too. Each type of drier has its own 
peculiar reaction and is used to gain certain qualities. 


274 THE MIXING OF COLORS AND PAINTS 


And all are used to speed the drying of printing inks. 
See Chapter VII. 

The drying of ink on paper is a process which ac- 
complishes its aim by oxidation (taking up oxygen from 
the air), by absorption or by evaporation. All three 
methods may occur with the same ink. At any rate 
the ink must dry within certain time limits to allow 
handling of the paper for further printing, for cut- 
ting and binding. 

Inks which dry by oxidation depend upon the var- 
nish and drier added; inks which dry by absorption 
depend upon the paper partly and partly upon the 
varnish vehicle; inks made to dry by evaporation de- 
pend upon the rapid volatilization of the vehicle which 
may be xylol, gasoline or alcohol. 

Some colors are naturally rapid in drying while 
others dry slowly. Quick drying varnishes are added 
to slow drying colors to make the ink dry normally 
rapid. 

Driers are added to ink varnish by the manufac- 
turers, but sometimes the printer must add more to 
the ink in the fountain when the weather is humid or 
when the paper contains too much humidity. 

Driers should be added to ink with the greatest of 
care. They constitute a stimulant and if an overdose 
is added to ink the drying may be retarded instead of 
speeded up. 

Characteristics of Ink.—The requirements which must 
be met by the inkmaker of today are complex as com- 
pared to the simple needs of hand block printing and 
early printing presses. 

Since that ancient day the introduction of lithog- 
- raphy by Senefelder in 1796 called for the production 
of colored inks while black sufficed before. 

And from then until now has followed a continuous 
procession of inventions and improvements, each pre- 


PRINTING INKS 276 


senting problems for the inkmaker, until now we have 
inks for lithography, letterpress, gravure and offset; 
for job press, cylinder and rotary; for steel and copper- 
plate engraving and embossing. 

Changes and improvements in press speeds and in 
paper qualities require modification or adjustment of 
printing inks to fit the condition. 

The introduction of photo-engraving to supercede 
wood-cut plates again set up a problem for inkmakers; 
and today the constant refinement in color process 
printing and betterment of paper constantly calls for 
vigilance and understanding on the part of the printer. 

Standardization of raw materials and uniform qual- 
ity are absolutely essential to successful adjustment 
and tempering of inks to fit every purpose, where 
color, body, drying ability, penetration of paper, ad- 
hesiveness, fineness of pigment, transparency . and 
opaqueness all are vital factors in the making and mix- 
ing of printing inks. 

Printing inks today are made for use on paper of 
many grades, on wood, burlap bags, waxed paper, 
glassine, fibre board, tin and iron. 

The mixing of printing inks to match any given sam- 
ple is done by substantially the same working methods 
as were outlined in Chapters VIII, X and XI. The 
principal difference to be noted is that instead of add- 
ing a little color to a quantity of white basic pigment, 
as painters and decorators do, the printer selects an 
ink which is near the color wanted and adds a little 
white or other color to correct it. 





INDEX 


A 
pemerates, Mivi.....ss lo... 99 
Acetic acid, vinegar...... 100 
Adding the colors........ 17 


Agricultural vermilion, dry 60 


oy) 99 
Alizarine crimson........ 52 
Sramascn lake, ....s..... 31 
POEM OLE ois cso ve 55 
(Cl eG eee ai, ot 
et EE are eels ad ewes goes 31 
Alpine green, Japan...... 57 
Alsace blue, Japan....... bt 
Aluminum A bronze, dry. 63 
ee es bese sss 120, 188 


striping bronze, dry.... 63 
Amber 
American powdered drop 


MANOEL YO sida dis os 0: 59 
vermilion ....24, 29, 54, 57 
Wermi0N, OFy.........- 60 
vermilion, Japan ...... 57 
Byermmiion, Ol «........ 55 


Amounts in paint mixing.122 
Amount of zine with lead.114 
Amyl acetate ......... 66, 99 
Aniline and coal tar colors 24 
Animal colors Zt 
Annapolis blue, Japan.... 57 


mamewerp blue’......... 34, 53 
OSES | ee 55 
PGW IODA. Gakic cs- 58 
Sa TO en a 54 

Apple green, Japan ...... 57 


Appropriateness of color 


schemes 22 
UNC a) 252 
PArtioelal, COLOTS .......+. 25 


Artillery gray, Japan.... 59 


Artists’ and decorators’ 
COLES, Pag Ae eyes ee 
Artists’ ofl colors... ...... 54 


and decorators’ palette. 40 


PBVeGtine io ba can oot 74 
STO eo. pa cel ae eine 252 
ADLER ODT LIIG he Ae Sree 55 
ASD Lith ey 4h ats ee es 2c ST 
THUUIROT Rr ha void eee oe 52 
OLR Be pie ee cee ee oars 55 
ALRCO LIN Baron ed Sud ear Asete 35 
OL and ks wo ee 56 
Automobile and sign paint- 
ers’ Japan colors..... 56 
Average bulking values. .121 
AAT OM DIMGU as esis Bae eee Be 
2rOUnG wCOlGm 1. 3 ee 59 
ADOT A Gr eh el cents aif 
B 
Balancing a color scheme 226 
BAN SNA Os cain a ices 93, 99 
IDAPVLCS me nda Ge wi eee 18 
DASE FOMCL SOS soit 32 
Basic paint pigments..... 65 
Battleship gray, Japan... 59 
PAV OCW Hie hd dard, ok OL eee 252 
Beaver brown, Japan..... 58 
Bench, paint mixing...... 1109 
BePIStiG ec: oe wt che cee 98 
IROTIEING | apsiad oe cee toe 97 
Benzo as seek.2 tee ee 98 
Biege brown, Japan...... 58 
Bismarck brown (red), 
CLI Fe ee eases ee 61 
Bitainens ia vo. aa eee 37 
AspnAaItUIM wicca es sas 52 
AY DROW OR Spt A Ra Pe ae 55 
Black, Victis. Powe le whe ster caesse: 252 
olive, purple ........ 0% 253 


277 


278 


Blacks ..16, 40, 50, 51, 53, 55 

Blue, 40, 55; bone, 17; 
brunswick, 27; coach, 
17, 50; drop, “17,..00, 
53; English blue, 50; 
gas, 16; indigo, 40; 
iron oxide, 50; ivory, 
17, RLS? SORc5 I obo, 0s; 
Japan, v7 lamp elo. 
50, 58, 55; lettering, 
51; nigrosene, 25; su- 
garhouse, 17. 


Blacks, distemper, water 53 
HVOry GFOp, JAmIp< vee s oo 
sla CR SOT Vil etate te ciate olen 59 


American powdered drop, 
coach painters’ English 
powdered drop, German- 
town, graphite, lamp 
black, Swedish 
Blacks, Japan colors 
C. P. lamp, coach paint- 
ers’ drop, English coach, 
English drop, ivory jet. 58 
Black, Lamp, C. P. Japan. 58 


Black lead, graphite...... (5 
Blacks; Ol Colors... cert 51 
ivory, lamp black, letter- 

(5 Ch i Nb rite ree ams A BE 


Blacks, oil tinting colors.. 50 
black iron oxide, car- 
bon, coach, English blue, 
ivory drop, lamp, 50. 

Blane de Laque, white, dry 40 


Bleeding. colors)... .. as <6 46 
DINO stra oar eee teers 19,33,51 
Bleaching of colors.... 48, 45 


Antwerp, 34, 51, 53, 55, 
200; 1 OSULe eo ete. 
black, 253; bronze, 253; 
cerulean, 33, 55; Chi- 
nese, 34, 49, 58, 55; co- 
balt, -20, 33,49, 51, 53, 
55; cobalt purple, 34; co- 
balt violet, 34; dark, 253; 
delft, 253; deep, 253; 
gobelin, 253; granite, 
253; grayish, 253; indi- 
#0, 55, 253; Italian, 53; 


INDEX 


light gray, 253; light 
Prussian, 253; marine, 
258; methyl 253ssaniswy. 
254; mountain, 254; new, 
55; old, 254; opaque, 254; 
oriental, 254; pale, 254; 
Paris, 53; permanent, 
55; Prussian, 21, 34, 49; 
51, .58,. 55; “pure aoa 
royal, 254; sapphire, 254; 
sea, 254; pale sky, 254; 
sky, 254; turquoise, 254; 
ultramarine, 19, 49, 51, 
53, 55; verditer, 34. 
Blue Black 
Ol 6%. Sakai oe eileen 


Blue bronze, dry 
Patent, dry 


Blue Devil Blue, Japan... 


Blues, distemper, water .. 
Antwerp, azure, Chinese, 


cobalt, Italian, Paris, 
Prussian, ultramarine, 
5s. 

Blues, ‘G2y-0¢ hs en cae eee 
celestial cobalt, C. P. 


Prussian, soluble, ultra- 
marine, H. B., 62. 


Blue, Freneh <..... eens 

Blue, glaZe:\.2i5 «See eee 
Chinese, cobalt, Italian, 
steel, ultramarine, ver- 
diter, 52. 


Blues, Japan colors 
Alsace, Annapolis, azure, 
light; blue devil, car 
body, light; coach, light; 
coach, deep; Coventry; 
57; English violet, Hol- 
land, insignia, Packard 
violet, peacock, Prus- 
sian, Rolls-Royce, subur- 
ban, light; suburban, 
‘medium; town car, light; 
town car, medium; town 
car, deep; ultramarine, 
violet purple, 58. 

Blue Lake 33.5. /2eeeae 


62 


33 
52 


o7 


INDEX 


ies, Ol COIOTS «.:...... 
Antwerp, cobalt, Prus- 
sian, ultramarine, 51. 

Blues, oil tinting colors.. 49 


Chinese, cobalt, Prus- 

sian, ultramarine, 49 
Boiled Linseed Oil ...... 84 
Bolted Whiting .......... 72 
Bottle Green, dry ....... 60 
PeroepeyCUOW: cc. .k ss sss 254 
VSI COLO a I 26 
Hera Aiewoud AVC: 2... 12s 26 
Brewster green, Japan suff 


Brick, stucco, concrete sur- 


TOe OS AR Re 129 
TOL GRGS 0. AL a rr 254 
Briliant yellow, oil ...... 56 
PerOaUrSCLaADer ..e.'s os. e's 108 
RS re 254 

Asiatic, 254; green, 255; 

yellow, 255; colors, 28; 

green, dry, 60; metal 

powders, 62, 75. 
mronuwne [yquids ........ 93 


Bronze powder colors, dry 62 
aluminum A, aluminum 
striping, chemically pure 
aluminum, 63; copper, 
crimson, dark _ green, 
decorators’ bronze pow- 
ders, extra fine pale or 
rich gold, fine pale or 
rich gold, French gold 
leaf, gold, 62; handmade 
lining and striping, 63; 
Hochglands pale gold, 
karet gold leaf, Koh-i- 
Noor pale and rich gold, 
light blue, 62; natural 
copper, 63; orange, 62; 
radiator gold, 63; purple, 
red, 62; statuary bronze, 
63; Roman gold, super- 
fine pale or rich gold, 
Vernis Martin, XX deep, 
62. 

oh i 
alderney, 


af, 90, 
amber, 255; 


51 


asphaltum, bone, bitu- 
men, 37, 55; Brunswick, 
50; burnt sienna, burnt 
umber, 50, 51, 55; Cale- 
donian, 37, 55; coach, 
cocoanut, coffee, chest- 
nut, 255; flesh ochre, 55; 
foliage, golden, Italian, 
leather, 255; madder, 
38;  madder oil, 56; 
mars, 36, 37, 55; ochre, 
37, 55; olive, orange, 
pale, 255; pink, 52, 38, 
55; purple, 255; raw 
sienna, raw umber, 50, 
51, 55; seal, 256; sepia, 
ot, 552° ‘snuff, — stone, 
thrush, 256; Vandyke, 
15, 37, 50, 51, 55; wal- 
nut, 256. 

Brown, distemper, water. 
Cologne, raw and burnt 
sienna, raw and burnt 
umber, Vandyke, 53. 

Brow oary, cas as siete wow oe 
Bismarck (red), raw or 
burnt American sienna, 
raw or burnt Italian 
sienna, raw or _ burnt 
American umber, raw or 
burnt Turkey umber, 
Vandyke, 61 

Brown, oil colors ..... 50, 
burnt sienna, burnt um- 
ber, 50, 51; bone, 55, 
Brunswick, 50; ochre, 
55; raw siena, raw um- 
ber, Vandyke, 50, 51. 

Brown, Japan colors 
Antwerp, beaver, biege, 
light; biege, deep; Brus- 
sels, French, golden, 
khaki, moleskin, light; 
moleskin, deep; Mojave, 
olive, Onondaga, Pack- 
ard, sienna, raw; sienna, 
burnt; umber, raw; um- 
ber, burnt, 58 

Brunswick green ....... 

Brussels Brown, Japan... 


279 


53 


61 


51 


. 58 


39 
58 


280 INDEX 


ES ULL SB are voce aig tee ea eee 256 
Bulk of lead and zine ...118 
Bulking values of  pig- 
MCRTLS SD Sivaty ected Beer uaF 
Bung-hole boiled oil .... 85 
Burnt umber, oil, ..... 14, 55 
Burnt sienna, oil ..... 13.65 
Buttercup yellow ....... 256 
C 
Caledonian brown, oil. .37, 55 
Cadmium, deep oil ap La 56 
lemon, ‘oil: pale, oil, 55; 
yellow, oil, 35, 55;  or- 
ange, oil, 56 
Canary yellow........ 22, mooG 
Carmine 2ru4 4s nee aT; 00 


Lake No. 40, dry, 60; 
maroon, 54; Nakaret, 
French, 52; No. 2, oil, 
55; No. 40, 52; 
Car body blue, Japan.... 57 
green, Japan, 57. 
Carriage part lake, Japan 57 


Carter =Process 2 See 68 
Cerulean blues. i. sk wee 33 
blue, oil, 55. 
Ceiling colorings ..2..... 244 
Celestial blue, dry ...... 62 
Chamois ‘yellow 2365. 2-62 256 
Chamoline, yellow ...... 256 
Chemical colors ......... 15 


Chemically pure _ bronze, 
UD ge PRU REPU Mat “ar 4 
Chrome yellow, dry...... 61 
green, Japan, 57; 
black, Japan, 58. 
Chemical reaction of some 


LOLOTS) noice oe Cee Perr 45 
Cherry. red, Japan. <.. 57 
China-wood oil .......... 89 
Chinese blue ...... 34, 52, 53 

QU aS cha din aie Wheelers 
Chinese and English ver- 

millions’ i.Jjaea ees , 54 
Chinolin’y oie Pcie peeves 25 
Chocolate. <4sa se eee 256 
Choice of tinting colors.. 162 

OTT tient eres netene emer 56 
Chrome green ........ 23, 54 


Chrome orange, oil 


Lestat 55 
Chrome oxide green...... 39 
Chrome yellow ........ 2a, 08 
Japan, 58; ochre, dry, 
61; oil, 55. 
Cinnabar red, Japan ..29, 57 
Cinnamon” “4. .o. eee 256 
Citron, yellow ........ 36,256 
Oil |. ui.'s niece ee 55 
Claret. ean ees ta tees 256 
Cliff stone whiting ...... 72 
Climaxes and centers of 
interest... ...). 0 eee 224 
Coach and car lead ..... 79 
Coach blue, Japan ...... 57 
painters’ black, dry.. 59 
Coal tar colors 72.332 
Cobalt blue ....20, 33, 52, 53 
OPY. 1. ele clslas ee 62 
Oil” oss os wid bbs ae ele eee 55 
Cobalt green ... eres nee 38 
Oil» 0. 5 a2 eee 56 
Cobalt. purple . .2ee eee 34 
Violet... ss ce eee 34 
violet, of] -.. Ae 56 
Cobalt: yellow .2 230457 3D 
yellow, light, oil) fae 55 
Cochineal 22.333 eee 26 
Cold, sombre colors...... 217 
Cologne, brown .......... 53 
Color and artificial light.219 
—and light 1.4.2.3 fg 
eard mixing chart) 7. o>. 152 
differences and descrip- 
tive terms \<.2- 2. 192 
harmony and manage- 
ment i... .40 ee See 192 
influences life ......... 215 
influences —. .5..2 7.0 ae 171 
—in pictures, frames, 
Mats “2 6a ot nae ee 245 
lacquers: ..3-4 < cae eee 63 
mixing formulas <a Se 252 
TOrMS 6 kink te eee 149 
pigments to match spec- 
trum. colors...... 144, 150 
theory, principles and 
USC | o2ls So yi ee eee 142 
Varnish 5c. 2450 mts 63, 188 
for wood trim....0....e8¢2 


‘ 


INDEX 281 
Coior schemes ....... 227-236 Copper green, malachite, 
RC OTIS pire aials a 2 3s es 234 WEFUienis wi 6s 4 tes chia 
SPPOTOT Fc caileip ele ccs ss 236 Coventry blue, Japan..... ot 
GOT OFOUUY «2 0% oc se oo 231 Covering capacity of paint 118 
Sera, heres. os ace eo o's 235 Craydon, English Venetian 
TRACTS 6 5 cscs ss 0 0 os 232 TEU, SURV eee ee 60 
library and private of- Creamasecs cc Kaistete tee van 256 
SS [ante SE 230 COLON, © Japan... su we 58 
PVA TOUM 6.4.5.5 8. Zot PeAsTeMmnite WHITE» oe. 8 ou eens 51 
school, church and bank 236 Creosote oil ............. 91 
Colors that give distance.218 Crimson, alizarine ....... 52 
that give largeness....218 amaranthine, 256, 
; aes -bronze, dry, 62, 63; 
Colored paint mixing lakRasO ubl oe BE: lake 
BNGEHOUS tas aces ccewss 157 permanent, 52; madder, 
DE Rte iin spss see's e we 49 30, 54. 
BOMPCOUUE® 8 < si cre'cisle o's se ses 24 D 
artificial Gilere elers ood cosa 25 Dark colored Danis. oe oe 158 
artist’S .......++..-. 28, 52 Dark red iron paint, dry.. 61 
PMIDUOTMODLIG., J 5. c.ce esses 56 Decorators’ colors. .28, 50, 52 
bronze SikeMici elie) eysiie|ia| o © 010.0 0 « 28 Deep maroon, ground color 59 
Garriaze, Japan ........ 56 Deep wine, Japan........ 57 
coal tar ............4-. 24 Denatured alcohol ....... 99 
EO Te a i ae 15 Dental plaster Paris, dry. 62 
@ecorators’ .....5..-.: 28, 52 Descriptions of color pig- 
distemper atetenaieietone (sial4 tere 53 MCTES aes SDE Soke | 11 
ae ae 59 Distemper water colors... 53 
dyestuff SHaMe Teta aves ekctietelre: sass 24 Dominant hue AT Ne Wena 152 
furniture, Japan ...... DMT IT ADM ao a ihe ct ota 256 
glaze colors Oh 5s Og ae 52 deep, 256; light, me- 
Be ate ike ctiate Saws s 53 dium, warm, 257. 
LES Rae a 56 Drapes and window 
mabutay dye... 6... ... 26 ehatesa eth ost eee 246 
polychrome, glaze ..... 52 Drawing the oil for dead 
polychrome, Japan ..... 56 HARA NISH Ie 2 ee 117 
UC NOES Sa ara 49 dricre ees. oo ee 100 
ON eee ... 50 Drier needed, amount....124 
Wason, Japan. ......... DOMED PODIMAN ACK 014.1. 2 se aetna 17 
RR WMP aie ial wie a so ss 53 FAD AILE ace aioe ee 58 
Combinations of colors in Dry tinting colors........ 59 
MR VOMIGTLY CS cis geal. sos 250 Dustproof gray, Japan.... 59 
Complementary colors...._: Dutch pink........ 37, 52, 53 
ie icles ss 47, 205 ATY ...eeeeeeeeeeeeeees 61 
Concrete, mixing paint Dyestuff colors. ......:...-. 24 
Uo 2S a so ae 129 
Wonvrist OF HUC,.......55 194 
Or einvensity ..5........ 104) Wari becolore> 4. e's. ce ee 12 
WV UCS Si Gale os wis sss a POCe PCTs chee Rare teen Abt 
Copper base colors........ 29 Effect of panels and 
POU OLY occu ss 0:0 62 SLTIDESS Sao ee ee 247 
COL OT. a toves tet eYo lar < s'ciece 256-— AMOSINe red ane nag. tee e 31 


282 INDEX 
Emerald green......... 38, 54 nakaret carmine, 52; 
ALL Air ptt ehes ciate wahy ee ee Ree 56 Naples yellow, nil, 55; 
Japan ey ees Lien 57 vermilion, oil, 55; yel- 
Emeraude green ......... 39 low ochre, Bie 
OL on meg teens oo Wustic eee ose ah osmium 


Enamels, white, colored. .187 
English coach black, Japan 58 


English powdered drop 
black dryset: 59 
English rose lake, ary.. 60 
Tose: Dink: # Oli way en 60 
VOPrMULOM nye tee atthe 23, 54 
dry, 60; oil, 55. 
violet blue, Japan...... 58 
Excitable, tiresome, irri- 
tatdn ee ColGrd 42. ee. 218 
Experimental mixing ....159 
Exterior metal work..... 128 
Extra drier needed....... 124 
F 
Mading <Ote GOLOTS io. . cate 43 
OA WITH ce Sols eee eee 257 
ETAV, JADEN poe oe wee 59 
BPillers? MOOT fis.icn eee as 186 
Fine pale or rich gold 
bronzespdry ae ee 62 
Fire bronze, patent, dry.. 63 
Flake white........ 51, 54, 70 
dry, 61; Japan, 58. 
Flat mixing varnish...... 91 
Flatting oil, use of...91, 127 
1OaAd Se, Ke ee ee 117 
Flaxseed oil, linseed..... 81 
Flesh™ color. «conten 257 
OCHTe COM S cventictien al 5D 
Floor colors and designs.245 
DIGS aus ie aan eee 186 
Pay SST cpae Nt dale eters fataterattets 91 
DAINTSING Sie cc ceases et ee 184 
Mlorentine Jake nin. seus 52 
Formulas, color mixing...252 
standard mixing ....... 122 
for white enamel...... 135 
white: Paints +... kie aoe 124 
Mrencle Dine sana le mites eee 33 


brown, Japan, 58; car- 
mine, oil, 54; gold leaf, 
dry, 62; gray, dry, 61; 
gray, Japan, 59; ivory, 
Japan, 58; maroon, 54; 


Fugitive colors <i os.seuueae 


G 
Galvanized iron wash.... 
Gamboge 


Geranium lake. .30, 51. 52, 54 
dry, 60; oil, 55. 
Germantown black, dry... 59 


Gilders’ whiting, ...... 61-72 
Glass equilateral prism...153 
Glass mixing slab........ 108 
Gloss. OIL ous. pis tain ee 92 
Glue SiZ@ . ss viss eee beeen 132 
Gold... visas eee eee 257 
Gold bronze, dry......... 62 
Golden brown, Japan..... 58 

ochre sa..5 se 3 Geos 

royal, lake”. ic )csi. same 52 
Granite, blue -.c J. saan 257 
Graphite... 13453 fi 

dry .diseee a eee 59 
Gray and grey paints..... 166 
Gray, argent \i2..oeeeee 259 


ash, dove, greenish, 259; 
gun metal gray, 59; jas- 
per, 259; light, 259; 
light French, 260; opal, 
260; Payne’s, 55; pearl, 
pure, silver, warm, 260. 
Grays, in Japan... .:oeeee 59 
artillery, battleship, 
dustproof, deep; fawn, 
French, light; French, 
medium; French, double 
deep; gun metal, light; 
gun metal, deep, 59. 
Greentia7.e ae 23, a8, aL eee 

alizarine, 52; aloes, 257; 
Antwerp, 54; apple, 257; 
autumn, 257; blue, 52, 
257; bottle, .50, 257; 
bronze, 50; brunswick, 
39; chartreuse,’ ~ 257; 
chrome, lead, 257, 23, 50, 
51, 54, 56, 60; chrome 


oxide, 56, 39; citron, 
Pi COualt, 38, 565 ¢ 
emerald, Paris, 258, 38, 
50, 52, 54, 56; emeraude, 
39, 52, 56; foliage, 258; 
forest, 50; gray, 258; 
invisible, 258; lake, 51, 
52, 54; leaf; 54; light 
Olive, 258; lime-proof, 
39; . 54; malachite, 39, 
52, 54, 56; marine, mid- 
dle chrome, mignonette, 
258; moss, 54, 258; moss 
rose, moscovite, myrtle, 
Nile, 258; Neuwieder, 
54; olive, 50, 54, 56, 258; 
oxide of chromium, 39, 
56; oriental, pale, pale 
emerald, 258; Paris, 38; 
pea, 259; peacock, 259; 
permanent, 38, 56; pis- 
tache, Prussian, sage, 
goer cap, 39, 51, 52, 56; 
sea, 259; slate, 259; 
terre verte, 56; ultra- 
marine, 51; velvet, 259; 


Verdieris, $9, 52, 56; 
veronese, 56; viridian, 
39, 56; water, 259; zinc 
chromate, 40; zinnobar, 
Bi 56. 

EOC. TV ob eis's ver vee ne 
bottle, 60; bronze, 60, 
62; chrome, medium or 


dark; craydon English, 
olive, Paris, regent Eng- 
lish, York Venetian, 60. 
areens, distemper, water.. 
Antwerp, chrome, light, 
medium and dark; emer- 
ald, leaf, lime, mala- 
chite, moss, Neuwieder, 
olive, 54. 

areen, glaze colors....... 
alizarine, light; 
rine, deep; blue, emer- 
ald, green lake, perma- 
nent; malachite, sap, 
vert emeraude,  verdi- 
gris, 52. 


INDEX 


. 60 


54 


Greens, Japan colors..... 
Alpine, apple, deep; 
Brewster, light, medium, 
deep; car body, double 
Ment Ge Plight Pp. 
medium; C. P., double 
deep; emerald, light; 
Itberty, ~ Milori, light, 
deep; Napier, light; 
olive, medium; phaeton, 
Roumanian, sage brush, 
light, 57. 

Greens, oil tinting colors 
bottle, 50; bronze, 50; 
chrome, 50, 51; emerald, 
forest, light, medium 
and dark; olive, 50; 
sap, ultramarine, zinno- 
bar, 51. 

Grey and gray paints... 

Greying colors 

Ground colors, in Japan.. 
azure blue, light blue, 
light red, deep red, rich 
red, medium vermilion, 
deep vermilion, deep ma- 
roon, 59. 


51 


.166 


Hand mixer 

Handy paint mixing bench 110 

Harmony Principle No. 1.195 
2 


NINN hes ie ccs kaso iet oot arate cee 196 
IN ORES. Grrtcitels a valle e vs eon tte 197 
PIATTISON POG hs os elt 3 
OLB i leciwie & tin cee eters 55 
EAA Vira oh crs Soe sie.ctescinie oth cae 260 
FLOLUOLFODE. 5 tics ea sie tie 53, 260 
High and low values..... 193 
Hochglands pale gold 
DrOUZON GOT Van 9 ieee 62 
Holland blue, Japan...... 58 
BET WEG aN, Sag Reais tea teeters nan etene 149 
I 
Imported French ochre, 
CE Peer oa as eee 
golden ochre, dry...... 61 
Prdlan rede. auraentr 18, 54 
BUDGE AUrVitet nc «scare 60 


INDEX 


284 
Ce aoe Ay atta bats! went 55 

Indian. yellow «a. = se 36, 52 
Ol Sem cele vidios vie eters eas 55 

Indigo.... .25, 40, 260 
ORLA a crete ig Pe nis ates eared 5D 

PES DTD S ie tte ee 267 

Insignia blue, Japan...) 4. 58 
POO DADAN tise ange stevens sire 

Intermediate colors ...... 8 

Tron mixing paddles...... 108 

Tron oxide ‘black. ..4...<. 50 

Italian cream, Japan...... 58 
Dink. Ge oe ee ee 31, B2 
AVTTEOCE Ce. coltetatter tieteehetpeae: 52, 03 
pink, OWVS eo arcs 56 

PVOLY? youre vac eee 3 cae 260 
DPC Oe ete oe rate ore 18;°5a 
Dla CkK. Oll> cat ns ee ee 5b 
Act black, Japana. «<= yen 58 

J 
SADAN, LICL sie ee ce ee 100 
K 

Karet gold leaf, dry...... 62 

Kerosene olla. Gac. aes ee 90 

Khaki brown, Japan...... 58 

Kings’ yellow, oil........ 55 

Knife, palette, putty...... 108 

Hatin’ Dutt ys ee eee 182 

Koh-i-Noor pale and rich 

gold bronze, dry...... 62 
L 

TAG oie oes iene nibsiek cree aed 26 

Lacquers, color .........- 63 

Hake (cOlors<.235 5 saws oer 25 

Wualkkras -NO:AT OG OOLY coe cere. 60 

Lakes, distemper, water.. 54 
carmine maroon, French 
maroon, dark; geranium 
lake, green, maroon, 
purple, rose, rose mad- 
der, 54. 

Lakes, sry css: detrei ee 60 
carmine, No. 40; Ger- 
anium, AA; Vienna, No. 
16 lake, 60. 

Lakes, oi] eolors.4 2257... 51 


alizarine, blue, carmine, 
crimson, geranium, 
green, light; green, 


dark; mauve, olive, 
orange, rose, scarlet, 
yellow, 51. 

Lamp: blacks... 45020 16, 53 
C. P. Japan)... ee 58 
dry cies oe a oe 59 
Ol) . eit ee 55 

Large rooms color 

schemés >... ee 2u0 

Lavender... 044.5 260 

Law of simultaneous con- 

trast. 5). Ai0 e022 eee Bae 

Lead... Sassen 67, 14> 2ee 

Lead chromate vermilions 28 

Leaf green =.. 2.8: oe 54 

Leather « 6 odsiclo nee 260 

Lemon \..5 250. eee 260 
bronze, patent, dry.cee 63 
cadmium yellow ....... 35 
yellow i.ve2 aesea eee 22, 230 
yellow, Japan 2.02528 58 
yellow, 011 3.44 awe 55 

’ fine yellow soe eee 35 

Liberty green, Japan..... 57 

Light;. 3 2.22) ee poi, 
and dark rooms........ 241 
blue, ground color...... 59 
for matching colors....170 
TCG oa i Se 30 
red, ground color....... 59 
red, oil ....%. . ohne 5) 

Lila. \.lis'es sts a 260 

Lime vb. ewe atom) -o whe a eneeheenetane 54 

Lime-proof green ........ 39 

Limestone: 92). 2536. eee 260 

Lining and _ striping 

bronze, dty-.3 yao 63 

Linseed oil 232 23 ae 
oil manufacturers ..... 88 

Litharge *..55. Ag. 74 
OLY fii ioe 60 

Lithopone 9.4.2 ae Ya 

Lumbang. oil ..43,..50 eee 80 

M 

Machine paint mixers....112 

Madder, crimson ........ 30 
pink, 80; rubensiieac. 
rose, 32, 52; scarlet, 32; 
brown, 38, 56; purple, 


56. 


INDEX 


Madder carmine, oil...... ae 
Meer IARC 6604.50 cee 32 
1G NT GS 55 
Ee A. viele aes ss 55 
REMORIUAT gdh s + le case BO bs 
Oo) oho a a 56 
Oe a 260 
SUES 54 
OP A oe ou, b2 
2D 56 

Manufacturers of pure lin- 
Beer Oll es. ol Sore ee 87 

CSC i A, 261 

OS ES 261 
acacia, 261; black, 261; 
lake, 54. 

USB SEOMOWIY wo. o sas see Di, 
Ul) 2 3 ee 55 
eee e is ee oe Gane es 36 

ee 8 30, 36 
eee ee 55 

Vis ea te) fe, 34, -36 
COL, Gaal sega ee agra 56 

Pee VOLIOW. a es ke oe 36 
RIN ects cok bien cisis bo» s 56 

eC G IIE... a ee ek 261 


Matching color samples. .168 
dry paint. color sample.174 
fabric color samples...177 


BP ADROLOSS. ¢e sce oe es 175 
PADGSETO TNALin ccs ge os ss 175 
MTD SAMI DICS 2... se. Ri 
rough and smooth sur- 
US Me a ghel Gite a's ev nies 177 
EP AMCs see, wa, eos 40s =. 30, 261 
ROE rc Se dh keels oa a + 5 
PL) a 56 
UIE ew bree oo 106 
Mreaqium Chrome ......... 22 
OLS CESS | el a or 92 
Menmnanden O11 ..... 2456s. 90 
Mercury vermilions ...... 28 
“Metal bronze colors....... 28 
Metallic brown, dry...... 61 
Method of examining color 
oh a ee a 161 
Drea weaICONOl se se 66 
AN ie eras ve neue ee iby bal 
Milori green, Japan...... a7 


Mineral paints, drv...... 61 
French gray, zinc white 


mineral, metallic brown, 

Prince’s shade; dark red 
iron paint, Prince’s met- 
talic brown, red iron 
primer, red oxide, 61. 


MAINGrAIOSDITICS ey eae ee 97 
Mixing bench, paint...... 110 
COlOrEO SDAInts Griese ck 157 
color to match samples.168 
formulas, colors, (.)0) 2.4 252 
SECOUS Aes ca hert serene 154 


lead and zine paint....114 


MOLUOUSs @, bite oes vo oe 105 
paddles, iron, wood..... 108 
paint for brick and ce- 
TROT Leer. ec Beane ce 129 
paint for new plaster. ..130 
purple and violet....... 154 
paint for old plaster....132 
DOU Aw eee ale cents ee LT 
pots, tubs and _  equip- 
TITOU howe fois cine rae 106 
ready-mixed paints ....111 
special purpose materi- 
IG cette tal alate tka Ch IN 179 
WOO S irae ara sata sickle 106, 108 
ars EM RCT ATP Tip Ss Meta eet ANS Sem EA 91 
White, enamel aes sce « 135 
white and colored 
CNAMICT eth oad elon we 187 
white: lead: paint... 5.5. 113 
White’ paint. ‘fore datk 
POO coe tee es we Ia 128 


Mojave brown, Japan.... 58 
Moelskin brown, Japan... 58 
Moss 
Motor car red, Japan... .. 57 


MOUS. COlOl t..05 0 cae 261 
N 
Nakaret carmine, French. 52 
Napier green, Japan...... DL 
Naples yellows Jo. 20 mies 36 
yellow, No. 1-L, oil..... 55 
yellow, No. 2-M, oil..... 55 
yellow, No. 31-D, oil.... 55 
Naptna Solvent ays a. oa 99 
Natural copper bronze, dry 63 
Natiral dye colors 1.0 2.2). 2€ 
IN AUT MEE. ote wey ate 40 


286 
Neutralizing and greying 
ROLOTSA A Scant staan 209 
cement surfaces ....... 130 
INGIIWIGOEr® 23.5). a) aea aes s 54 
New Dlie? Olle Vee saree 55 
New color theory......... 155 
New plaster walls........ 130 
Nigrosene black ......... 25 
Non-radine colors 1.42 2.5% A4 
Nopal orange, oil......... 55 
TGQ ch Pea Mak ote canes 32 
POR OL Os Oeics ieee fie 55 
Number of gallons from a 
WWERIN Oo We sieves oe potent s 120 
ITE COL Ph cae we oe abo eee eee 80 
O 
Oak, dark  Vsse cee eee 261 
tights. tists oa ee eee 261 
Ochre, golden icv ae t 261 
Romar ae. sat. eee 261 
WOLLOW ans asters 14.587,, 50,953 
(OTE pRInt, aes oners ie eke ree 80 


linseed, 81; ‘boiled, 84; 
perilla, 89, China wood, 
tung, 89; soya- bean, 
menhaden, fish kerosene, 
petroleum, 90;  flatting, 
flat mixing, floor, 91; 
gloss, polishing, rubbing, 
megilp, 92; bronzing 
liquid, 98. 


Oil and glue size.........134 
Oil, Colors os cee 49 
CLTIOr re kc ao ea eee ae 100 
Old Dutch process........ 68 
OWE OL rice eeen eens 261 
Oldiivory, JapAancn.a see 58 
Old plaster walls......... 182 
OM GR) rs ome eee 54, 261 
brown, Japan, 58; gray, 
261>. green,, dry; 60; 
green, Japan, 57; green, 
oil, 56; lake, 51; light, 
261; yellow, 261. 
One color to match sev- 
Oral. Udy cn eee ee ee 176 
Onondaga brown, Japan.. 58 
Opaawe colors 2s cles wae 42 
PanisnDlueec nce was 53 


INDEX 


STeen = i..hae ee eee 38 
green, drys. ee ee 60 
green, emerald ........ 38 
whiting... 222 oe eee 72, 
Patent bronzes ~......90 eee 62 
lemon, fire, crimson, 
orange, blue, 63. 
Payne’s 2ray, Oil. . oe Dh 
Peach. bloom |..2. Se. eee 262 
Peacock blue, Japan...... 58 
Perfect yellow ...i(.eeee 36 
Per gallon coverage...... 119 
Perilla oil”... )2) eee 89 
Permanent blue, oil....... 55 
crimson lake <. tape ee 52 
sreen | .2.%. cine eee 38 
green, deep, oil.) aoe 
green, light, oil :. see 56 
green, medium, oil...... 56 
red, dry <i... See 60 
Turkey. red. 3)... oen 52 
yellow ..: i... Gee 36° 
yellow, Japan <)..))eee ee 58 
yellow, Ol] 3.) ).a eee 56 
Perfect vellow, oil........ 56 
Petroleum oil |. .24 25,558 90 
Phaeton green, Japan..... 57 
Pigments’... 2 eee 61-75 
mineral paints, 61; 
bronze, 62, 75; paint, 
basic, 65; white lead, 
67; sublimed lead, 69; 


zine oxide, 70; titanium, 
71; lithopone, 72; whit- - 
ing, 72; silica, 73; bary- 


tes, 73; asbestine, red 
lead, litharge, 74; graph- 
ite, 75. 
Pink»: 25.48 s2 ee Sige 262 


aurore, 262; brown, 52; 
coral, 262; Dutch, 31; 
Indian, 262; Italian, 52; 
light, 262; madder, 31; 
madder, oil, 55; royal, 
262; Venetian, 262. 


Plaster of Paris “72 
dental, dry. i... neem 62 
putty” 3... eee 184 

Plumbago, graphite ...... 1D 


Polishing and rubbing oils 92 


INDEX 


BOON e wo ae ens es y's 22, 201 
bright, 261; bronze, dry, 
62; bronze, patent, dry, 


63; lake, 51; mineral, 
qa se -mineral; dry, 62; 
Persian, 262; _ scarlet, 


* 262; vermilion, 33; ver- 


milion, oil, 55; yellow, 
Japan, 58. 

Oxide of chromium, oil.. 56 
OS oN A a 6 50 
OEMS 2 ee 60 
EGP sgicte is dos to a 70 


Packard violet blue, Japan 58 


CS ee 109 
PPM COIOLIS. 5... sc cs ce cess 49 
SU LE Oo 111 

COO Se € fl rr 
(3206) 111.118, 114, oe 

mixing bench Sg 
mixing formuals Besa s ie 
BPN dtp oacd 40.0 ale 6 Og ee 80 
REP IMONUS 5. tu seco ase cs 63 
Painters’ colors ......... 49 


Painter-made ready-mixed 
paints 

Painting galvanized iron.129 

Pale or rich gold bronze, 


eocevereeoeree ee eee & o 


ce) Ses ea 62 
Palette and putty knives 
Meee ehahe « stereie niga'es 108, 109 
Panels and stripes, walls.247 
eI UG! si. ccs ae. 26 
UMM TEN slisidin’ picesoie «x 5's + + gh 
Parisian red, Japan...... 57 
Polychrome colors, glaze, 
BEM ERre o oo etn See es 52, 54 
AD AL sess 0 a 56 
Pompyvscet Ol. .6...5.-.5. 80 
moreeiain, DING ........-. 262 
Beer wer erixerT -. 43... 2.0- 112 
Preparing galvanized iron.129 
Primery colors......... 8, 146 
PMT MIRO Sais ssiccs cscs 4s 262 
Princess Louise lake red, 
Be ph og akc) Ass ss oe 
ere KS oe ee we 267 


color pigments and dyes, 


287 


271; oils and varnishes, 
272; rosin, Copal gum, 
Damar gum, Kauri, 
rosin oil, waxes for ink 
making, bees-wax, Car- 
nauba wax, wool-grease, 
petrolatum wax, paraffin 


wax, ink driers, 273; 
characteristics of ink, 
274, 
ISIE Ohs ter chat sie wie core o.8 (fea lsy: 
Properties of color pig- 
INONUSe rhe slate ences ois 432 
Proportions in paint mix- 
Di ca mot Sp Reece RR eta 122 
Ofaleatvands Zin. e. pose 114 
Prussian blue......21, 34, 53 
BONO =O) leaerrce cts: sac Cone ee 55 
Digs DAN Fs as cas cos ae 58 
Pure blue spectrum light 
EAMG Tc ywhslo c smie ete bine 145 
Pure Coloravars ct as Gate aie 152 


Pure oil manufacturers... 88 
Pure red spectrum light 
rays 


rays 

Purple 
anemone, 262; begonia, 
262; bronze, dry, 62; co- 
balt, 34; lake, 34, 54; 
lake, oil, 56; madder, 
56; royal, 262. 

Purple, glaze colors...... 53 
deep, extra; royal, helio- 
trope, magenta, 53. 

Purples, distemper, water. 54 
ultramarine violet ..... 54 

Putty 
window glass, 182; 
knife, 108; knifing, 182; 
Swedish, 183; quick-set- 
ting, 183; plaster of 
paris, 184. 


Quantities in paint mixing 


A ogi wenn ie hr rns LL ten 
QOuartnine de oot ae 73 
QOuercitroneoark ae ee 26 
Quick-setting putty ...... 183 


R 


Radiator bronze, gold, dry 
Ray GION NA] |. nus eke ete oe 
Raw sienna, o1l.., 2. .6.-es 
Haw MIDer. ou. ee ee eset 


PGE cei ie cae 18, 28, 49, 50, 


alizarine, 25, 31; aliza- 
rine crimson lake, 31, 
55; Armenian, 262; Bor- 
deaux, 263; carmine, 30, 
54, 55; carnation, 263; 
cherry, 2638; chrome 
orange, ip crimson 
lake, 54; crimson mad- 
der, 30, 54; deep Indian, 
263; Egyptian, 263; eo- 
sine, 31;° geranium, 263; 
geranium lake, 30, 55; 
Harrison, 30, 55; Indian, 
18, 49, 50, 54, 55; light, 
a0, b5se-lieht indian: 
263; madder carmine, 
55; madder lake, 32, 55; 
magenta, 30, 56; mars, 
30, 55; mauve, 30, 56; 
mercury vermilions, 28; 
Mexican, Mikado, Moor- 
ish, 263; nopal, 32; no- 
pal red, 55; orange, 263; 
orange vermilion, 33, 
55:5 Oriental, 20a... paras 
25, 31; permanent, 49, 
50; pink madder, 31, 55; 
poppy, 2638; rose car- 
thame, 32, 55; rose dore, 
oo; Do; rose lake, 32; 
rose madder, 32, 54; 
rose” pink; 322050.) 54; 
Rubens madder, 32, 55; 
scarlet lake, 30, 38, 54; 
scarlet madder, 32, 55; 
searlet vermilion, 55; 
terre rosa, 30, 55; To- 
luidine, 32; Turkey, 49, 
bO.- 54 -Purkishs e265" 
Tusean, 29, 49, 50, 54, 
263; ultramarine rose, 
54; Venetian, 19, 49, 50, 
54, 55; vermilions, 23, 


Redsj.0ryeawseerae 3 


INDEX 


24, 29, 30, 33, 49, 50, 54, 
55, 57, 


Reds, distemper, water... 


American vermilion, 
light and dark; English 
vermilion, light and 
dark; Indian, rose pink, 
Turkey, light and dark; 
Tuscan, Venetian, ultra- 
marine rose, 54. 


red lead, Indian, super; 
oxide of red, permanent, 
English rose pink, Eng- 
lish rose lake, Turkey, 
light, No. 2; Turkey, 
deep, No. 3; English 
vermilion, agricultural 
vermilion, American ver- 
milion, Tuscan, litharge, 
60. 


Red, 176°. <5. oe 


alizarine crimson, aliza- 
rine lake, asphaltum, 
carmine No, 40, floren- 
tine lake, French naka- 
ret carmine, geranium 
lake, bluish; geranium 
lake, yellowish; - perma- 
nent crimson lake, per- 
manent Turkey red, per- 
manent vermilion, light; 
permanent vermiilon, 
deep; rose madder, scar- 
let lake, Vienna rose 
lake, «52. 


Reds, Japan colors.....4. 


American vermilion, 
pale; American vermil- 
ion, deep; carriage part 
lake, light; cherry, Cin- 
nabar, insignia, motor 
car red, light; motor car 
red, medium; motor car 
red, deep; Parisian, 
Princess Louise lake, 
Runabout, light; run- 
about, deep; Saginaw, 
light; Saginaw, me- 
dium; Saginaw, deep; 
Tuscan, Tuscania, 57. 


54 


. 60 


52 


57 


INDEX 


Reds, oil tinting colors.49, 50 
American vermilion, 50; 
decorators’, 50; English 
vermilion, 49; Indian, 
49-50; permanent, 50; 
permanent red, 49; rose 
pink, 50; scarlet ver- 
milion, 49-50; Turkey, 
49; Turkey red, 50; Tus- 
ean, 49-50; unfading 
vermilion, 49; Venetian, 
49-50. 


Pree@a bronze, OTy.......... 62 
Red iron primer, dry..... 61 
ian Us ns a 74 
CSD anne 60 
Ee ic Ped sees 120 
feearomioe, dry....5..... 61 
TES See i a 28 
Regent English Venetian 
oh SSS oe ee 


Related colors—analogy...202 


faeetn COOLS ce. 6. sve 6 oy BA 
Rich maroon, Japan...... TT 
Rich red, ground color.... 59 
Rochelle ochre, dry...... 61 


Rolls-Royce blue, Japan... 58 
Roman gold bronze, dry.. 62 
Rooms with north expo- 


EIN RE. 20S Se ag 240 
Rooms with south expo- 

Ee aye lates aGhers + « 241 

frase Carnation ........... 263 
carthame, 32; carthame, 
oil, 55; dore, 32; dore, 


oil, 55; lake, 32, 51, 54; 
lake, Vienna, 52; light, 


263; madder, 32, 54; 

madder, oil, 54; old, 

263; pink, 32, 54. 
oO ls OS 263 


Roumanian green, Japan. 57 
Royal purple 53 


see eee eee ee eo 


meupets madder........... 32 

SEG 9) | 55 
Runabout red, Japan..... 57 
“aie To eg heh 0 263 


Ss 
Sage brush green, Japan.. 57 
Saginaw red, Japan...... iif 


289 

SCLLTOT Pca oe cael nen geen ot 264 
SAD METOOM oll tas coels cle Sale 397-52 
CM Ny ison eae yah gies a Do ted 56 
wapanwood dye sc 2k. eS 26 
SAD DULIT OM ner nytacdee ee Tees 264 
ICU LOS myPae ear Ghats ocukart mation 106 
mCaIVeLs OT Ete fo oid nt. week 264 


lake, 30, 33, 51,52; lake, 
oil, 54: madder; 32: 
madder, oil, 55; orange, 
264; vermilion, 30; ver- 
milion, oil, 55. 


melaVerDrOAt io. zs cee. 108 
Secondary colors ...... 8, 146 
elfen, Hae eee ces wee 37 
EBL ate tare cle cies fe oes 55 
PANG ee terres oe hetaly see, 149 
Pienna- sDUIms, Japan... 58 
MD Wiese aio hasan oiead ees 2, SO os 
TET tapes ates os 3, Owe 

raw, burnt, American, 
WE TCV QE coca u ete eee eats 61 


raw, burnt, Italian, dry 41 


RAs UAT a5. Reames 58 
BU eater ah cee woale atote ave, eee 3 
CEPR an see dibs «tina: deo ee 62 
SAUCE aes cohey som cae kt 2 RT ne 12 
ib ip A ee eR arc Rd 62 
Silver white wood filler, 
CLIVV Nd ah ot at nbd eos Stes oes 62 
Sir Isaac Newton’s experi- 
TRETLE ic ahaa nee 143 
SIZG ww lUGm asc d Sis at 132 
varnich, «33; on and 

glue, 134; sugar, 135. 

CODU Se Ato sete hae sate eee 131 
Slab, Sinss.anlxin2 3.22.1 198 
Slate awk soe eas eee ae 264 
Slow-drying colors ...... AT 


Small rooms, color schemes ?38 


STULL sy otras cate Rie ee 264 
Soluble blue, dry...... re 
SOMVentenNaptiigunas..jet cee 99 
SPITS Wee: oF ARO ee 66 
Soya-pean voll *... 2625 wees 90 
SDECIPUINY aces fut oes i 
Standard formulas —-.+;.. 2. 123 
Standard formulas for 
white pain’ =. ee 124 
statuary. bronze, dry..4.5 63 
Steeleeplwewss. ©. oo, ae eee 52 


290 
Stippled pure colors...... 208 
BPUELET Cre foe avare ls ok re eter ete Pane 264 


Bradford, brown, dark, 
light, middle, 264. 


PULHITIOLS iki ey cwcecen Cees 108 
Straining paints and col- 
Ta PAS yale die aie eeetNe ke 116 

Straw color, Japan....... 58 

Strontian yellow ........ 36 
RPL eeietaicie encals Sate Sine ee tae BD 

Stueco, mixing paint for. .129 

Sublimed white lead...... 69 

Suburban blue, Japan.... 58 

MIG OI ZO Mike esate a9 135 

Sulphate of limesou... «: 3 

Sunflower seed oil........ 80 

Surface covered per gal- 

lon: Gf *palntse ae eee 118 

Swedish’ blacks. i406 59 

ILEUS Acide patentee Bee 183 
4% 

AT). ose aves Sete ease eee 264 
auburn, coffee, soft, 
warm, 264. 

POY TA COLTS y scs, siaaes eect 264 

[Rorrer FOSS ian. at crite pobre One 30 
OE aie ee sere Bee ee 55 

rrerre, Verte, OUR nee. 56 

ertiary: COLOTGS-> .5.aen ome 146 


Testing for color match...17 


mhinn ers = paints, 22. 80-100 
“5 BOAE Ee Seep COMPROMSD Werenty w ACTS airs, 149 
Tinting colors in oil..... 49 
NEAT SOR 1G es re etree 71 
Toluidine -Tred. 53 foe eee oe 
ON EU wis «ete a ae ae eee 152 
Tones of one color........ 198 
Tools needed, mixing....106 
Town car blue, Japan.... 58 
Transparent colors ...... 43 

gold o¢hre,, oll. .aco.; 56 
Pune O1L. 4 scat eee 80, 89 
SL AITIR OV CLO Wiig) vue at gts eee 54 

Vey) one aah anes cee rere 60 

Permanent: eo .1ci oe ee 52 
fburpen tine) <3... eso 95 

SUDStITITeS. a eee fee 97 
PUTauGise Fea tose wee ee 265 
PPUSCAN Ww TOU. oc cae oe 29, 54 

CEE Ta ahcuas the vos racus te tecne Peat 60 


JAaDAN |... ces) 57 
Tuscania red, Japan...... bT 
U 
Ultramarine ash, oil...... 55 
blue, 19, 62, 563s Japan, 
58; H. B. dry, 62; rose, 
one violet, 54; yellow, 
Umber, burnt, Japan..... 58 
raw, 138, 50,9534 "burn 
14, 50, 58; raw, burnt, 
American, dry, 61; raw, 
burnt, Turkey, dry, 61; 

raw, Japan, 58. 
Undercoat colors ........ 179 


OLY? ont ye ees oe eee 61 | 
Oil. 22. BAe 55 
Varnish, color. 63, 188 
S1ZO iw ake Se 133 
Veeetable colors ......... 27 
Vehicles; ‘paint 2 ee 89-100 
Venetian red. fi. sa ee 19, 54 
Ol]. a ah 55 
Verdigris green........ 39, 52 
Oily 2 eae 56 
Verditer biue..4... eee 34, 52 
Vermilionetie: Yo. ae 29 


Vermilion, ground color.. 59 


Vermilions <0: ae 28 
American, 24, 29, 50; 
English, 23, 49; French, 
23, Chinese, 23; scarlet, 
30, 49, 50; orange, 33; 
unfading, 49; perma- 
nent, 52. 

Vernis Martin bronze, dry 62 

Veronese green, oOil....... 56 

Vert HEmeraude........ 39, 52 

Vienna lake; ory. caoaeee 60 
rose lake 32)... .2) eee 52 

Vinegar. .4.. cba ee 100 

Violet: (oh ie cs uls ste eee 265 


carmine, oil, 56; cobalt, 
34; Mars. 34. 36; purple, 
Japan, .58; transparent, 
265. 


INDEX 


291 
PIMOLANO VEEN |... oo ee oo) NVOGE-TNeTs, OLY ss i« fein 62 
SE ere eee esac oe she as 56 silver white filler, or- 
Volatile thinners and ange mineral, pure silex 
OLIVES WIESE te. 5 aa Sa 95 (silica), 62. 
Wood mixing paddles....108 
W 
BRPAUANG Het? cc ece cds ks ete BM 265 Y 
Warm, cheerful colors....217 Yellow..22, 35, 50, 51, 52, 53 
Match crystal test........ 172 alabaster, 265; aureolin, 


Water colors, distemper.. 53 
Weight of linseed oil per 
gallon 
ready mixed paint...... 118 
turpentine per gallon. .118 


white lead paint per 
PICS aare Sua vie sas + * s 118 
PRPS ClOCAT Acc i ee eee 265 


flake, kremnitz, perma- 
nent, pure, translucent, 
transparent, 265. 

Whites, distemper, water. 54 
flake (white lead), 54; 
zine, 54. 


Seem Gees OLY. ose ee Der AeG 
flake (white lead), ex- 
tra gilders’ whiting, 
lump or bolted; zinc, 
French green filler, 61; 
white primer, _ silica, 
dental plaster paris, 
pure white lead, 62. 

Sviites..in Japan.:....... 58 
flake (white lead), 58; 
zinc white, in Demar, 
58. 

CO 2R Ps eel ea 51 
flake (white lead), zinc 
(zine oxide), Cremnitz 
(white lead), 51.. 

White and colored enam- 

BE eae hohe is, a's... 6 187 
COTE oe i 67 
White paint, for dark 

oD Ce 128 
White primer, dry....... 62 
PORTO Oy hen a's vs oe va 1S 


Window glass putty. .181, 182 
Wines and maroons, Japan 57 
rich maroon, 57; deep 

wine, 57. 
BVOGUNAICORG) J).o assess 99 


35, 56; brass, 265; bril- 
liant, 56; bronze, 265; 
brown pink, 52; butter- 
cup, 265; cadmium, 35, 
55, 56; canary, 22, 50, 
266; chamois, 266; cha- 
moline, 266; chrome, 22, 
o1) 58.555, Citrine... 266; 
citron, 36, 55; cobalt, 35, 
55; Dutch pink, 37, 50, 
51,533, gamboge, 37, 52; 
56; golden, 266; golden 
ochre, 37, 50, 51, 53, 56; 
Indian, 36, 52, 55; Ital- 
ian, 266; Italian pink, 
37, 52, 56; jonquil, 266; 
King’s, 55; lake, light, 
deep, 37, 52, 56; lemon, 
2a; 100,00, DL, DD, 266; 
light, 22, 50;-51, 538, 50; 
light colonial, 265; light 
orange chrome, 265; 
Mars, 36, 55, 56; me- 
dium, 22; 50, 51,58, 55? 


nopal orange, 55; Na- 
ples, 36, 55; ochre, 50, 
51, 53, 56; olive, 266: 


orange, 22, 50, 51; 55; 
orange chrome, 265; or- 
ange lake, 52; perfect 
yellow, 36, 56; perma- 
nent, 36, 56; primrose, 
266; raw sienna, 12, 52; 
royal golden lake, 52; 
strontian, 36, 55; trans- 
parent, 266; ultrama- 
rine, 53; zine, 56. 
Yellows, distemper, water. 53 

chrome, light, medium 
and dark; Dutch pink, 
golden ochre, ultrama- 
rine, yellow ochre, 53. 


292 


Venlows, QvY Aikastcee vie Wee 
C. P. chrome, light, me- 
dium or dark; genuine 
chrome, light, medium 
or dark; Dutch pink, 61. 


Yellow, glaze colors...... 
brown pink, gamboge, 
Italian pink, Indian, or- 
ange lake, yellow lake, 
light; yellow lake, deep; 
royal golden lake, raw 
sienna, 52. 


Yellows, Japan colors.... 
cream  -color, light; 
chrome, light; chrome, 
medium; French ivory, 
Italian cream, lemon, 
pale; old ivory, orange, 
light; orange, medium; 
orange, double deep; 
permanent, medium; 
straw color, 58. 


Yellows, oil colors........ 
chrome, light; chrome, 
lemon; chrome, medium; 
chrome, orange; Dutch 
pink, golden ochre, vel- 
low ochre, French, 51. 


Yellows, oil tinting colors 
light, canary chrome, 
medium chrome, orange 
chrome, Dutch pink, 


INDEX 


58 


51 


50 


Yellows 


golden ochre, yellow 


ochre, French yellow 
ochre, 50. 
chrome,.C. Po arya 61 
lake. 223.3 eee RY MEER hs 
lake, oil. .2 3345 2 eee 56 
ochre = )...44 «eee 14,- 538 
ochre, oll’ 4.5 4. eee 56 
Yellow ochres, dry........ 61 
chrome ochre, light or 
dark; imported golden 
ochre, Rochelle ochre, 


imported French ochre, 
61, 


Zine, ~ bulky sas ee 70 
chromate green ........ 40 
French green filler, dry 61 
oxide 2 .tJ Ae eee 51, 70 
use Of “...°G5.0e:eeee 127 
sulphate... 2 esa 100 
sulphate wash for ce- 

MeENE. 36 4.45 ae 130 
white... 64 ieee 54 
white, in Demar.y. cae 58 
white mineral, dry..... 61 
yellow, oll 22... 5. 56 


Zinnober green, deep, oil. 56 


light, oil 
medium, oil 














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